Companion Souls : Finding You
by Myosine
Summary: During his training with Jiraya, instead of remaining in the Elemental Countries, they spend their time in Britain. There, Naruto meets a similar soul, Harry. A bond will be formed between the boys and they will soon become each other world. Later slash
1. Prologue

**AN : This is my first Fanfic. So feel free to comment and criticize. Also English is not my native language. So, if you find any mistakes, again feel free to send me an mp. **

**Just as a warning, Naruto will be smarter and less naive in this story, as well as Harry. Although, this does not mean that they will be super powerful either. They will be cautious around people. Being who they are, I also intend on focusing on their open-mindedness. Also, some characters will be rewritten or put into another perspectives. If any of you feel offended by my paintings of some characters, just remember that this is rewriting existing stories, and therefore might be expected.**

**Edit : Seeing some recurring questions in the reviews so far, I decided to add some information here.**

**So, first, about the time setting. In the beggining of this story, Harry is 10. Naruto is 12. And yes, I know, some things he says, he only knew it when he was 13 in the manga, but I decided to change this and adapt it to my story. Basically, we'll consider that they graduated one year earlier. Also, as a warning for a future time, I plan to make his training time with Jiraya last 3 years instead of 2 and a half. So it means, he will be 16 instead of 15 at the beginning of Shipuuden.**

**Second, this will be a Naruto/Harry pairing in the future. But this won't occur now.  
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**Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto.**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

I am different and because I am different I am unwanted.

I am different and because I am different I am ignored and avoided.

I am different and because I am different I am beaten and starved.

I am different and because I am different I am alone.

I've never asked to be different. I've always wanted to be like them, to fit in. But they would not let me. Because I am different no one understands me. This was my truth until I met HIM.

He had bright and beautiful eyes.

He had sad and old eyes.

There was suffering, hardship and loneliness in those eyes.

Just like me.

He smiled. I smiled. And everything was right. My world completely changed at that moment. He became my truth, my thread to life. Just him and me.

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><p><strong>Here was the prologue. It is short, but this is how I see a prologue. The next chapters will be longer.<strong>


	2. Heavy Burden

**Chapter 1 – Heavy Burden**

Bathing in the last rays of sun, the village of Konoha was preparing for the end of the day. Children were making the most of their last moments in the playing grounds, before heading back to the warmth of their homes. Teachers were grading last papers or simply checking the Academy grounds. Stores were closing one by one, while restaurants and other food stands were welcoming oncoming costumers. Ninjas could be seen heading towards the Hokage tower, surely to give their reports before calling it a day. All in all, a normal evening in Konohakagure.

Yet no one could miss the whispers. First it had begun as a rumour, a rumour that many had easily rejected. How could it be true anyway ? _He_ would never do that. _He_ was, after all, the pride of the village. One of the geniuses that they so often produce. So, this could only be a lie. But as time passed the truth could not be denied. _He_ was not there any more. A team had been sent to retrieve_ Him._ They came back. Without _Him_. How? Why? _He_ deserted ? Not willingly, some were eager to argue. No. _He_ must have been forced, trapped ? And what about the mark ? Yes, that was it, because _He_ would not have deserted otherwise. Some even claimed that _It_ had a hand in _His_ leaving. After all, having _It_ as a team mate could have only driven _Him_ away or worse corrupted _Him_.

Fools. Ignorant fools. Ignorant or blind. Or frightened little humans. Really, he did not know which term fitted them better. Sitting on top of the Yondaime's head, he could not help but be amazed as how delusional some of the villagers could be. And yet he could not blame them. Civilians. Even if they lived in a shinobi village, they did not understand anything about ninjas. They did not understand the technicalities behind jutsus. All they saw was flashy and powerful techniques that can protect them and make them feel safe within the village. All they saw was a demon hidden behind a deceiving innocent face that was ready to hurt them, again.

Pensive blue eyes scanned over the village. A sigh. He knew all this. For the last twelve years, he had had time to observe human nature and had drawn his own conclusions. Fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of the unpredictable was what drove human nature. Younger, he had wondered about the glares, the shunning and the beating. Why did they treat him like that ? Had he had done something wrong? He had asked. Innocent eyes pleading for an explanation and the hope to belong. Demon was their answer. It took time but he was smart and reached his own conclusions. Conclusions that were eventually confirmed some months ago. Months that seemed to be ages.

In the short lapse of time since he had become a genin, his life had become complicated, or more complicated than it already was. For the first time he had been accepted by a few. His sensei. His team mates, eventually. He had proved his worth to some of the ninja population. He finally made friends, even if a few. And it was all good until a certain snake appeared. He had come and shattered his self-made family. He had awakened the hidden and waiting monster in his bestfriend. He had charmed him with sweet promises and the fool had followed. The blond ninja had been angered by it. The Uchiha could have had all the power he ever wanted in Konoha. The village was an incredible source of knowledge, if one knew where to look. The villagers had always been more than willing to give it all to the Uchiha. But the idiot had just turn them down and ran to Orochimaru.

Since the Uchiha massacre, Naruto had kept an eye on Sasuke, and soon had reached the conclusion that the black-haired boy was a lost child. Being alone himself, the blond boy felt sympathy, but he also saw the darkness within Sasuke. Of course, back then it was dormant, hidden within the young boy's sorrow. But Naruto could see it, as he also had lived with such shadow and knew the danger of it. That's why he kept an eye on the Uchiha. Being in the same team had been a great opportunity to try and keep the so-called genius from his inner demons. It had worked, for a while. But when the Snake Sannin appeared, Naruto saw what he had failed to see before. Sasuke was power thirsty and blinded by his need of revenge. His mind was only focused on revenge, and because of that he was weak. A weak and easily manipulated mind.

Another sigh. Hateful and crazed eyes appeared in his mind. This battle had been the most difficult he had to face. He had tried so hard to bring him back, but from the moment he had met his friend's eyes he had known that it had been a lost cause. Nevertheless he gave his best with hope that perhaps he could save Sasuke. He had failed and could not help but feel guilty. Of course he would not give up, but still. Sakura assured him that she understood. It was foolish of her to think that the dead last could bring the Uchiha prodigy back. She had not say it out loud but a glanece in her eyes and Naruto knew. Yet she still bore the hope that the blond would keep his promise. At least she did not hold him responsible for Sasuke's desertion.

Tearing his eyes from the village below, Naruto turned his head to the now starry sky. He must have been here longer than he thought. Tomorrow he would leave the village with the Toad Sannin for a few years. To train, the old pervert had said, and to prepare against the Akatsuki. Akatsuki. Another problem to look out. As if being a jinchuriki was not enough, he had to have a bunch of criminals after him. Just what he needed. So many things needed to be taken care of. So many expectations. So many responsibilities to shoulder, alone. Always alone. Because even if he had friends, people surrounding him, there was something missing. How he wished to have someone who could really understand him and always be with him. How he wished for someone to make all the loneliness and pain go away. But life had taught him that his wish was unlikely to come true. So chasing away the depressing thoughts, he stood and made his way back to his flat. He had to pack. Tomorrow he would leave and made his journey with Jiraya to the Outside World, wherever that was.

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><p><strong>That was the first chapter. I know, there is not so much action in this one, but I wanted to settle the characters properly before really going into the story. The next chapter won't be that different, except that it will be centred on Harry<strong>


	3. A Christmas Wish

**Chapter 2 – A Christmas Wish**

Locked in a small cupboard, a little boy tried to keep himself from freezing. The thin blanket wrapped around his small frame did not do a really good job. His teeth were chattering and his body was shivering furiously. He hoped that _his family_ would arrive soon and switch the heating on. They had left earlier to spend Christmas day with his uncle's sister. As usual, they did not take him with them. He did not deserve to come, because he was not a good boy. Sometimes he wondered why they kept him if he was unwanted. He had asked once and received a hard blow on his face by his uncle. Ungrateful freak he had shouted.

Since he was of age to understand, his uncle and aunt had kept telling him that he was an anomaly, a freak, that he was not normal. At first he had not understood. Why was he not normal ? He had a head, a mouth, a nose, ears, two legs, two arms, exactly like the others. Well not exactly. After all, he was not as huge and fat as his uncle and cousin or as tall and thin as his aunt. So to be normal meant to be either like a whale or like a giraffe, he had concluded. Therefore, to fit in he had tried and become like them. But despite all his efforts, he remained like he was. After all, how could you become huge or tall if you were not given enough food ? At first he had been depressed by his failure, but when he had been able to compare himself with others than _his family,_ he realized that he was not that different. If anything, it was _his family_ that was different. So he was the normal one.

Of course he had not said a word of his discovery to his relatives. He did not want to offend them after all. And so they kept on treating him like an undesirable. Although he did not find it fair, he understood that they might be uncomfortable with normal people. This belief did not last long however, because they were always at ease with other people. They did not glare or insult them. It was only him. Harry. But why ? He eventually had his answer at the age of four. He remembers it perfectly. He had woken up that morning with a cold. He had made his way to the kitchen, prepared breakfast and then sat at the table to have a toast and a glass of milk. And then he had sneezed. He had sneezed and his glass literally exploded, splashing milk all over the table. The moment was followed by a heavy silence. Harry, for his part, had been completely amazed. A sneeze did _that_ ? He did not know a sneeze could be that powerful and dangerous. No one told him. If he had known before, he would have used it against Dudley ! However, he had not been able to marvel any longer at the power of sneezes as he had then been roughly grabbed by his uncle who proceeded to yell at him. He was not to do any of these freakish thing ever again. And to stress his point, the small boy received a violent beating and was shoved in his cupboard.

Trapped in his cupboard, he then understood that only he had the power of the sneeze. Well, it was more than that, but he only discovered it later, when he realized that he could do other things as well. These abilities made him different. A freak. That was when he understood why _his family_ treated him differently. They were right after all. But he had wondered if they were others like him. Could his parents do the same things ? He had asked his aunt, but she had avoided the question and insulted the Potters. He had never asked again but kept imagining that his parents were also different.

As the years passed, he had come to understand his abilities (even if he had no name for them) and managed some degree of control over them. Except when his emotions were too violent. That was when he was caught and punished accordingly. Sometimes he was also punished just because he existed. He was not even allowed to have friend as Dudley made sure that no one approached him. So he found consolation in books. The public library became his haven. There he could immerse himself in all sort of fantasy. From adventures to love stories. From classic authors to modern ones. He also read history books and some science books, even he sometimes had difficulties to understand the latter ones. Thanks to this early introduction to literature and because he was not allowed much leisure, Harry had developed a vast imagination that made him the world see in a very different way. It also helped to escape the world.

However, despite his made-up world the truth was he was alone. It was Christmas and he was alone. Even _his family_ did not want him and he was probably going to freeze to death. For the first time the little boy felt desperate and empty. He did not know if it was because of the cold or because the loneliness had become to heavy to bear, but he came to wish for someone. Someone who could be here for him. Someone who could accept him and perhaps understand him. He did not ask so much after all. Just someone. Unbeknownst to him, Magic heard him and decided to grant her child his wish.

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><p><strong>Here was the 2nd chapter. I hope I did not do a too bad job. Anyway, I'll really begin the story in the next chapter. That would be Naruto and Harry's meeting.<strong>


	4. Connection

**AN**** : Before going on, just to answer _917brat_****. In the beginning of this story, Harry is indeed not 11**** yet, though he is in his 11th year. In the previous chapter, I just gave his point of view from his previous years, that's why he appears childish at some points. Sorry if that was confusing. Although, I intend to keep some of this childishness or actually his special view on things. I won't say too much about that, as you will discover it soon enough, I think.^^**

**Anyway, that was said, on with the story now. (Hopefully, I did not make too many mistakes. If you find any, please send me a mp, and I'll gladly correct them.)  
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><p><strong>Chapter 3 – Connection<strong>

Almost two weeks had passed since Christmas and Harry did not succumb to the cold. The remaining of the holidays had been as usual. The Dursley had become fatter than they already were. They had basked in the pleasures of Christmas while Harry had tried to make his presence as invisible as possible. He really had tried, but it was not his fault if Mrs Stevenson had visited when he was doing the dishes and thus when he was visible. Because of that he had been invited along with his family to come and see a pantomime. Of course his aunt had tried to find an excuse to prevent him from coming, but Mrs Stevenson had insisted and so he had gone.

The Stevenson were quite new in the neighbourhood and had been appalled when they learned that nothing special was done for Christmas. They managed to convince many people that something had to be organised. Eventually, they decided to hire a small theatre company who would entertain the children with a pantomime. The story was that of _Peter Pan. _Harry had been ecstatic, even though he had been careful to hide his excitement. It was the first time that he had been to a theatre and he was not disappointed. He had loved everything. The décor, the actors, the story. For the young boy, it had been magic. The raven-haired boy had been entranced and rapidly immersed into the story. It was like in the books he was so fond of, except that it was played for real in front of his eyes. He had been so thrilled that he had also participated. Really it had certainly been the best night of his life.

However, it had been a completely different story with the Dursley, or at least with the adults. If they had accepted to go and see this monstrosity of a play, it was to keep their family's reputation intact. But what they had witnessed was immoral! A girl playing the role of the boy! An obscene and vulgar man playing the role of a woman! And the story! People flying! Pirates! Fairies! _Magic_! What were these people thinking! This was nonsense! Dangerous nonsense if they had to judge _their nephew_'s reaction! And something had to be done, because even their innocent baby boy had been charmed! No, they would not stand by and let their baby be corrupted! Once they had arrived home, they took the boys and made them understand that what they had seen was rubbish ! However, to make their point further, Uncle Vernon came with an idea. A brilliant idea if you asked him. The children had witness nonsense, so to balance it and prove them that all they had seen was not real, they had to show them something more serious and realistic.

So here they were on a Saturday morning in Central London standing in front of the British Museum. There. Rational, serious and real facts. Not some silly imaginary story! This time, they had also brought Harry with them. After all, he needed this visit more than anyone else. Of course, Uncle Vernon made sure that the ten year old would behave. However, their generosity had limits and Harry was rapidly left to his own device, but really he did not mind. The museum was huge and impressive. He was fascinated by the dome made of glass that greeted the visitor when you entered the building. He had the impression of being in a different world, a different dimension. Soon he entered a first room. It displayed some huge Egyptian statues of Gods and Goddesses. The more he looked at them the more they seemed to bore into his very soul. So he did the only thing he could think of. He prayed. Or at least he talked to them which was praying as far as he was concerned. He even bowed to each statue receiving strange looks from other visitors. Why are they looking at him like that? They should pay their respect! Did they know nothing?

Each room was amazing and fascinating for Harry. He was particularly ecstatic in the Greek and Roman rooms. The jewelleries were beautiful and seemed extremely delicate. The weapons even if worn were amazing. The more he saw, the more he could see glorious and bloody battles. The strength and skills of a gladiator against a deadly lion. Swords clashing against claws and teeth. Spears piercing moving bodies. He could see it all. However he could not find drawings or even statues of Achilles or Ulysses or of any other Heroes ! He searched everywhere and even asked, but they were not there. How could that be ! There were heroes ! Real and fantastic heroes ! He spent a few minutes mourning them before leaving the rooms, disappointed.

It was later that he found himself in the Egyptian rooms, or more precisely in the Mummy room. Lots of people were packed in the room. Excited children were glued to each glasses in order to see the corpses better. Harry had never seen dead people before and when he managed to have a closer look to one of the mummies he stared. The body was perfectly preserved and you could even see fingers and toes. He wondered if all the dead looked like that, if his parents looked liked that. But would he want his parents to be like that, exposed to everyone's eyes? That was when he noticed a flash of orange on the opposite side of the glass. He looked up and saw a blond boy clad in orange pants and a long-sleeved black shirt. However it was the other's eyes that drew him. They were of a brilliant blue. As blue as the sky, but they were sad. And then he looked up and their eyes met. If he thought that he had seen sadness in those eyes, it was nothing to what he saw now. There was suffering and hardship in those eyes, and loneliness. The blond boy then smiled, a knowing smile, and Harry could not help but smile back. And that was when he was roughly pushed.

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Naruto had begun his day hoping to find Ero-sennin and start his training. Finding the old pervert he did, but training he did not. The sannin had explained that he needed to gather necessary information for their stay. He had then suggested that Naruto should familiarize himself with his new environment. The young ninja would not have had any problems with that if it was not for the bloody cold. If he had known where they would go, he would have brought better clothing ! But no the old toad had not told him anything ! A ninja should be prepared to any circumstances, he had said when they arrived. Yeah, right. Of course, since their arrival two days ago he hastily bought warm clothes, but this did not mean he liked the weather at all. However, despite his reluctance he had left their hotel's room and and proceeded to visit London.

His first impression did not change. This was a crazy place. It was so much bigger than Konoha or any other places in the Elemental countries. People here were always in a hurry and busy. If you did not pay attention you were pushed by the crowd and could even be run over by those cars or those huge buses. They were also all sort of people. People with huge signs advertising for this shop or that restaurant, people trying to sell you something, people with all sorts of piercings, heavily drunk people at night. Naruto could not stop but be amazed by all that. But the noise was the more annoying thing. So far he had not found any place where he could meditate in peace, and this began to irritate him. But he tried not to think of it too much and hoped that ero-sennin would find a solution. However, now all he could think of was finding a warm place. Getting familiar with his new environment was one thing but learning about the customs and the history of this place was also essential. So with the help of some passers-by he found himself in Tottenham Court Road heading towards the British Museum. Getting warm and learning. Perfect.

At first he had been impressed by the Greek columns that greeted the visitor. However, he soon became bored. Of course, he could understand the utility to display all these statues and other objects, but reading and looking had never been a hobby for the Leaf shinobi. So far he had seen the African, the Greek and the Roman exhibition, and he was now in the Egyptian room. He had had all the intention of leaving when he had noticed the huge amount of people in one of the rooms. Surely there must be something interesting. So he headed towards the crowd. At first he could not see anything but when he did he became horrified. There, displayed as entertainment were people, dead people. The young blond could not understand how this could be exciting. He knew death. The memory of the deceased Sandaime as well as the ninjas who had sacrificed themselves during the last invasion of the village was still fresh.

Slowly he approached one of the bodies. It was kept in a glass case. How could they be so disrespectful. Those people had lived, cried, , laughed, suffered. They deserved to be left in peace. But here they were exposed as mere objects. Curiosities to be scrutinized and prodded, as if they had not been humans. Like him. Their sole purpose was to exist for the entertainment of others, like he existed to guard a monster... or to be one. He could not look any longer and lifted his eyes to be met by a pair of deep green eyes. Greener than the forest surrounding Konoha. It was the green of emeralds. In these eyes he found understanding. So he smiled. The smile was returned and it would have been perfect if the other boy did not find himself sprawled on the ground, courtesy of an elephant.

Upon seeing that, Naruto rushed to the dark haired boy's side and helped him to his feet, while the elephant was stupidly laughing.

"Instead of laughing you could apologise, you know." He sent a glare at the fat boy and turned to the smaller one. "You're ok, he didn't hurt you too much?" Before Harry could even respond, the elephant answered.

"Hey, what are you talking about? It's not my fault if he fell!" Did this fat blond think he was stupid? No one just fell while standing! He was about to say just that, when the green eyed boy intervened.

"I'm fine. These things always happened to me."

"Yeah, he's a freak like that." At this, Naruto's sharp eyes turn his full attention on the other blond. How could he say something like that. Who was he to treat another as a freak? The ninja was about to give a piece of his mind, when a fatter man and an extremely tall woman appeared.

"Here you are Duddykins! I thought I had lost you!" the woman said as she fussed around the boy, who was obviously her son.

"Duddley, try to stay with us, you don't want..." the man trailed off when he noticed the other boy. "You! What did we tell you, boy!" He whispered furiously.

"To stay away from you during the visit, uncle. I'm sorry, I promise it won't happen again," the small boy replied dutifully, his head down.

"Good. Now come, Petunia, Dudley!" And with this, they left and hurried to another case. Meanwhile, Naruto had stopped at one word. Uncle. So they were his family and they treated their nephew as if he was a pest. He would have dwelt on these thoughts if he had not notice the other boy moving away.

"So those were your family?" he asked. The boy looked up, seemingly surprised to be addressed. He seemed to hesitate a moment before answering.

"Yes... Yes, they are."

"You don't really look like them."

"I know, I'm different," he answered somehow subdued.

"Yeah well, better be different than looking like an elephant." Harry could not help but chuckle.

"Yeah you're right. Hopefully I look more like my parents."

"Hopefully?"

"Um... well I don't know who they are. I mean, my parents." Silence.

"I don't know my parents either." At this, both boys shared a look and smiled. They could feel that they were quite alike. They did not know each other's stories, but they felt that they could understand each other somehow. Slowly they reached another case displaying yet another body. Remembering where he was, Naruto could not help but be sad and disgusted again, and expressed it.

"What could be so fascinating in death? It is just violence, suffering and mourning. Don't they understand that? Those bodies belonged to real people who certainly didn't want to be displayed like that. How can they rest in peace if their bodies are exposed and disrespected?"

And Harry could not help but agree. If he was a mummy, he would have been outraged and unstable. He would have cursed all of them for their blatant disrespect. That was when realisation hit him, because this is exactly what the mummies must be doing.

"Oh no, you're right! These mummies must be really angry at us for disrespecting them! They are here after all and can see us! They are certainly cursing us!" At this, Naruto who had been lost in his thoughts turned to Harry and asked in a whisper.

"Wha... Wha do you mean by 'they can see us'?"

"Well, this is obvious. They have been moved from their resting place. Surely they are not happy about that. So like any other unhappy spirits they are stuck here and do the only thing they can : cursing us! And this is terrible, because it means that we'll have bad luck ! When we leave this place, we'll probably have lots of accidents, like choking while eating chicken or falling from our bed resulting in our ankle being sprained or walking in the street and ending up falling in a manhole. Then, we'll take a bus to France while we intended to go to school. Being in a country where everything is all the way round, we won't look at the right side while crossing the road and will be run over by a red car. And then we'll die." With that, Harry finished with a horrified expression which described all too well the seriousness of the situation. Naruto, for his part, had become paler and had remained fixed on one thing.

"Sp...spirits? Wha...what d'you mean?"

"Why, ghosts of course!"

"GHOSTS!" Naruto could not help but yell. Now he was shaking furiously. There were ghosts in this place and no one told him ! Worse, they were vengeful and bitter ghosts ! As if he did not have enough of vengeful and bitter alive people, now he had to deal with dead ones. Kami-sama, what did he do to deserve this ? Why did he have to come to this place in the first place ? Yes, knowing the new environment. This was all ero-sennin's fault ! Cursing the pervert sage, he swore to bring his so-called shishou down with him. There was no reason for him to deal with this alone, and he swore that he would make him pay. His mental ranting was however interrupted by Harry's voice.

"Yeah, I know. But don't worry, there must be a way to appease them."

"They are GHOSTS!" He could not help himself and Harry seemed to realise that the blond boy was more frightened by the fact that they were dealing with ghosts than the cursing thing. "Don't worry," he said smiling, "I promise they won't hurt you." He did not know if he was because of the gentle voice or because of the smile, but somehow Naruto calmed down.

"So, what can we do?" Harry seemed to think a moment before answering.

"I think we have to give them gifts and pray for their souls." This was not a stupid idea and it made sense. After all, he always brought flowers or small gifts when he visited the cemetery in Konoha.

"Alright. But what can we give them? I don't have any flower with me, and they have lots of gold."

"Mmmm... I know ! We can give them food!"

"Food? But they're dead."

"And that does not mean they cannot appreciate it. If I was dead, I would be very happy if someone thought of bringing me food." Harry reasoned. Naruto thought of it for a moment before agreeing. After all, he would also be happy if someone offered him ramen while he was dead. Thankfully, Naruto had with him a packet of chocolate biscuits. So the two boys decided to offer them to the mummies. They were careful to spend enough time in front of each case, asking for forgiveness and praying for the mummies' peaceful rest.

Eventually, they left the rooms followed by inquisitive glances from other visitors. Of course, the two boys had seriously warned other children that if they dared and tried eating the biscuits they would surely be cursed twice and suffer a terrible death. Some vigils had also tried to stop them, but when they explained their reasons they were left alone, not before receiving amused looks. Now that they had paid their respect, they could continue on their visits.

"Ew, this was one of the worse situation I've ever been in... ghosts..."

"Yeah, but we solved the problem eventually."

"Mm... So what do you want to do now?" Harry glanced at Naruto, no having really expected the blond boy to stay with him.

"You want to spend your visit with me?" He whispered.

"Why wouldn't I want to?"

"Because no one wants to."

"Well I'm not anyone! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, future Ho... err... Leader of my village! Of course I want to stay with you !" Harry could not prevent the brilliant smile that spread on his face. Someone wanted to spend time with him, to talk to him!

"Ok. I'm Harry, by the way!"

"Harry Bytheway, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Naruto answered with a smile.

"No, it's not Bytheway," Harry corrected with a frown, "it's Potter, Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter... Then why did you tell me you were called Harry Bytheway?" Naruto asked, extremely confused.

"This is not a name. I mean, 'by the way,' it's an expression. You usually used it when you want to add something." At this, Naruto could not help but have a sheepish expression.

"Um... sorry, I'm quite new with this language, hehe..."

"Really! You're not from here, are you? That would explain the accent," he added more to himself.

"Yeah, I'm from Japan." That was the story he had to tell. The Elemental Countries were actually hidden from the Outside World by a strong genjutsu, so people here had no idea that a whole continent existed in the Pacific.

"Japan! Wouah, that's very far. You must have been through a lot of adventures to arrive here..." Harry trailed off while beginning to imagine all sorts of situations the blond boy must have encountered. However, he did not go far in his mind, when he heard a growling of some sort. Turning towards Naruto, he noticed the sheepish smile.

"Hehe, sorry about that, but I think I'm a little hungry... It's probably close to twelve, so we could go downstairs and grab something to eat."

"We could go, but I don't have any money..."

"Don't worry I'll pay!" Not letting Harry answer, Naruto grabbed the smaller boy and rushed downstairs where they bought sandwiches. They then found a nice place to eat and talked. Naruto talked of his village, without mentioning anything too serious, while Harry talk a little about his family, but more about his books and the stories he read. The young boys could not help but being captivated by what the others were saying. One with all his pranks and other funny anecdotes, the other with the fantastic stories he knew.

They spent the rest of the day happily in each other company, until it was time for Harry to find his family. Upon their imminent separation, they could not help but feel sad, especially the green eyed boy. He had made a friend, and he would certainly never see him again, and strangely the very thought brought a heavy and painful pang on his heart. He did not want to be separated from Naruto. The genin, for his part, was not much better. Somehow, he felt that he had connected with Harry on a different level than with anyone else, and leaving his new friend seemed unbearable. Just looking into the Harry's now sad eyes, Naruto came to a decision. He would not let go of this new bond.

"Where do you live?" Surprised by the question, Harry could only stare.

"What?"

"Give me your address and I will visit you."

"Really?" Harry could not help but begin to hope.

"Yes, I promise. No matter what I will come and see you." And Harry knew that he would see Naruto again, so he gave him his address. He did not have time to say anything else though, as his uncle grabbed him and led him to the rest of his family. He managed however a smile and a small wave at Naruto. The Leaf ninja, for his part, watched his new friend go and vowed to see him again. He would convince ero-sennin to let him visit Harry. After all, the old toad owed him for having to deal with ghosts!

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><p><strong>Here it goes. A longer chapter so far and I hope you enjoyed it<strong>.

**I'm still unsure of what the next chapter will be about. I have different ideas, but I have to choose, so it may take longer to update.**


	5. Nightly Secrets

**AN : It took a bit of time, but I managed to finish the chapter. I had some difficulties with expressions, so if you find some of my wording strange, please send me a pm and I'll make the correction.  
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**Anyway, thanks to the few of you who reviewed my story. I really appreciated your comments. It's really motivating and make me want to keep on updating.  
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**Also, thanks to **_**Stelle600**_**, for correcting the mistakes in the previous chapter. Now on with the story, hope you'll enjoy it.  
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_**Notes on the story **_

**_[ Text ] : _This is for letters and other messages**

_Text_ **: This will be for supposed Japanese speaking.**

_**Disclaimer**_** : I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 – Nightly secrets.<strong>

Three days had passed since their meeting at the British Museum. When joining Jiraya at their hotel room, Naruto had immediately lashed out on the older man and ranted about crazy people, ghosts, noisy cities, ghosts, whales, ghost, biscuits, GHOSTS and the unfairness of it all, much to the sannin's confusion. So he did the only thing he could think of to shut the blond up. He put him under a powerful genjutsu and enjoyed a peaceful evening. Of course, the next morning had been hell for the older ninja, but he had eventually managed to calm the blond's ire by explaining that he had found an adequate place for mild training. Having been frustrating by the lack of exercise so far, Naruto had calmed down quite rapidly and had listened. Later, they had made their way to Hampstead Heath and the young genin had been delighted. The park was perfect as you had the impression to be in the countryside while being in the middle of London. The vegetation was ideal for hiding and some chakra control exercises. Moreover, being in January, it was quite deserted. Thus, Naruto had made the most of it and trained hard.

However, despite the joys of training, the young ninja could not keep his mind from Harry. He had really enjoyed the few hours spent in the company of the other boy. He knew that seeking friendship with anyone from this world could be dangerous and painful. After all, he would be returning to Konoha and his life had to remain secret. Still, despite all these reasons, he had the urge to find Harry. Somehow he felt that the younger boy needed him as much as he needed him himself. He could not explain it, but it was a feeling that had settled deeply into Naruto. He could freshly remember the desperate look in the other's eyes when he had spoken about his so-called family and the wishful look when he had mentioned his parents. Faced with so much pain, the Leaf ninja could not help but reflect on his own life and had the feeling that he had found a soul similar to his own, a companion soul. So this was why he had made the decision to visit Harry this very morning.

The day before, Jiraya had told him that he would try to find a better and more secluded area for the two of them and that was why he had to train alone for the day. As soon as the older ninja had left, Naruto had leapt into action, hastily pocketed some money for the journey and the note with Harry's address on it and left the hotel. However, getting there was a little more complicated than he had predicted. First he had to find directions, and this was hell to find. Eventually, he was told to go to a train station and ask. He ended up in Waterloo station and had to wait ages before he could talk to the woman at the information point. Then, it took even longer for the woman to find directions and the worse of all was that _she_ got irritated! How could she be ? It was her job after all to help people find directions! If she did not like doing that why was she even working there ? Really, the nerves of some people! Finally, he got the information he was looking for. Luckily, the train he was meant to take departed from the exact station he was in. Therefore, he bought his tickets and boarded the train, when it was there.

The journey was quite uneventful and it allowed the young blond to calm down. Slowly the outskirts of London disappeared and the city slowly morphed into greyish landscapes, sheltering nude trees and dull grounds. Naruto wondered why his shishou has insisted on staying in London, when the English countryside seemed decent enough for training. But again, if he had not, he would not have met Harry. _Harry_. He wondered if the smaller boy was fine, if he expected him. Then again, he had made a promise. Thinking of his new friend made him anxious to be there already. He had wasting his entire morning and would probably arrive at destination in the early afternoon, and that was if there was no other complication. He wished he could have travelled by foot. Surely this would have been faster, but Jiraya had warned him that their mean of travel was quite unusual here and would make them stand out. But there was no need to dwell on it now, he thought. He just had to be patient. Soon enough he found himself in a small station and promptly made his way to Privet Drive.

After two hours of going into circles and ending up in more dead ends that he could count, Naruto finally found himself in front of 4 Privet Drive. The house was lost among a sea of identical houses which stood perfectly next to each other, each presenting perfectly mowed lawn. No wonder he got lost in the first place! This place was a maze! If he thought London was a crazy place, _this_ was overwhelming madness! But he was losing track. Now that he was there, all that mattered was Harry. So he made his way to the front porch and rang. He waited a few minutes, before shuffling could be heard and the door opened to the sight of Harry's giraffe-like aunt. Upon seeing him, she gave him a questioning look.

"Hello! I was wondering if Harry was here?" He asked with his most charming smile. However, it did not receive the result he wanted, as the woman stiffened and an irritated look graced her feature.

"There's no _Harry_ here! So you better leave _now_!" she spat harshly and was about to close the door, if he did not object.

"Why are you lying? I know he lives here! Please, let me see him!" he ended pleadingly.

"Who is it Petunia?" asked a male voice from behind, quickly followed by its owner.

"I don't know who this is, but he wants to see _it._" she whispered. At these words, Vernon turned an angry glare to Naruto.

"Look, I don't know who you are but we don't know who you're talking about..."

"But I know he lives here!" Naruto yelled, rapidly becoming frustrating. He had not spent his all day getting lost for nothing!

"And you will not see him! Now leave before I call the police!" Not letting him the chance to answer, Vernon violently slammed the door in his face. Now what? He remained in front of the closed door for a few minutes before an idea popped into his mind. He would stay hidden and spy on the family, and wait the right moment to see Harry in secret. Slowly, he left the front of the house and sneakily made his way to the back. There he found trees and bushes which could hide him and made himself comfortable. However, after about ten minutes in the shadows, he heard a strangled cry from within the house. Immediately he became alert, ready to act. No more cries were heard, just some whimpering. And was that the sound of beating flesh? Before he could jump into action, it stopped. After a few minutes, he could hear the TV screaming and and could see Harry's aunt in the kitchen. Soon, she called for dinner and the family was soon eating. However, Naruto noticed that Harry was not there. Could it be that he was really not in the house? He rapidly dismissed this idea. Harry would not have given him this address otherwise. So why was he not at the table eating? A few seconds of thinking and his eyes widened. No! It could not be! They would not... his family...

0000000000000000

Pain and despair. Pain throughout his body, especially his back, his jaw and his abdomen. Despair for having been denied a friend, once again. Tears was silently flowing from his swollen cheeks. He could stand a few broken bones, but not being able to see Naruto was possibly the most excruciating feeling he had ever experienced in his all life. He had the impression to have lost the most precious thing he had ever had and that made it all the more painful. From the darkness he could hear the Dursleys feasting, completely ignoring his sufferings. They might even be celebrating, congratulating each other for making his life a misery and he could do nothing about it. He felt so weak and powerless, at the complete mercy of _his family_. They could do everything they wanted, ruin his life and he had no say in it. A strong wave of despair washed over his heart and a new torrent of tears spread on his face.

Completely lost in his misery, Harry did not notice the Dursleys going up to bed, nor did he hear the back door opening. So when the door of his cupboard opened, he could not help the yelp that escaped his lips and he automatically withdrew deeper in the darkness of his so called bedroom.

"Harry?" a voice whispered, "Harry, why are you in there?" the voice asked, a familiar voice Harry noticed. He looked up and his teary eyes met concerned blue eyes.

"Naruto?" he croaked. Was that a dream? If it was, then he did not want to wake up.

"Yes, that's me and no, you're not dreaming. What have they done to you? Did they..." Naruto could not utter another word as he managed to see glimpses of the small battered body. His eyes travelled back to Harry's eyes. Silence surrounded them before Harry launched himself into Naruto's arms and latched on to him. In the comfort of the older boy, he started crying again, emptying the sorrow that had plagued his life. The blond genin also shed silent tears. Upon seeing the state Harry was in, he could only remember his own childhood, running and hiding from hateful villagers, and the beatings he received. The beatings and the hopelessness he had felt at the time, just like Harry was feeling now.

However, their reunion must have been attracting attention, because they could suddenly hear shuffling from upstairs. Without a second thought, Naruto took them both back in the cupboard making sure to close the door without making any noise. He still had Harry in his arms and managed to fit the both of them in the narrow space. The younger boy instinctively kept quiet, his heart beating furiously. They still could hear movement from upstairs and he prayed that they would not be caught. He did not want Naruto to be hurt because of him. After what seemed to be ages, the house was silent again.

"Do you have any torch in there?" Naruto asked when he believed it safe again. Silently, Harry reached the switch. After adjusting his eyes to the sudden light, Naruto carefully took a good look at Harry. He had smelt blood before and could now see the bleeding lips and a few bruises. Smiling sadly, he made to sit up while carefully placing the young boy in a position where he could be treated.

"I am not a particular gifted healer, but I can patch you up," he said.

"Ok," Harry replied while smiling weakly. There was not a lot of space in the cupboard, but somehow Naruto managed to treat the other boy while being slightly bent. He had some balm Hinata had given him when he had left the village and some bandages in his pouches. He took them out and motioned Harry to take his shirt off, which the latter easily complied. His breathing hitched slightly upon seeing the forming bruises. How could they? They were his family? A family is supposed to protect and love his own not hurt them! But then, he remembered Gaara... Not wanting to think much about it right now, he returned his attention to Harry. Right now, he was more important. So slowly and meticulously he applied the salve, making sure to not hurt the raven haired boy any further. When he judged that enough salve had been applied, he finished by bandaging him. He then let Harry put his shirt back on, before they started staring at each other.

"Don't leave... please," Harry whispered pleadingly.

"I won't," Naruto reassured. Satisfied with this answer, Harry made some space on his worn mattress and pulled the blond next to him. Soon, he was held by protective arms and rapidly drifted to a peaceful sleep. The young shinobi did not fall asleep immediately but kept mulling over what he had learned and witnessed today. The more he thought of the situation Harry was in, the more he felt angry. What had he done to be treated this way? No children should suffer such a treatment! When arriving in the Outside World, he had thought that people would be different here. How wrong he was. He glanced down at Harry and could only smile at the peaceful expression gracing the younger boy's features. A wave a protectiveness washed over him and he tightened his grip on his small friend. Yes, he _would_ protect him from now on. He would have to speak to Jiraya and convince the older man to take Harry with them. With this last thought, he switched the light off and drifted to sleep.

00000000000

The following morning, Harry woke up feeling happy and warm inside. He had slept wonderfully and could not stop the smile that appeared on his face. Naruto had spent the night here. As soon as the thought reached his mind, he reached for the older boy. He frowned. Why could not he feel anyone else? He turned around and realized he was alone. Disappointment froze his heart and a lump formed in his throat. Was that all a dream? It had seemed so real. Swallowing the tears that threatened to escape, he slowly sat up and reached for his glasses. His aunt was to be wake up soon and he had to prepare breakfast. Sighing, he made to leave his cupboard, when his right hand brushed against a small bundle. Looking down, he noticed a note folded upon it. Holding his breath, he took the note with a trembling hand. Unfolding it, a brilliant smile returned full force on his face.

_**[ Harry,**_

_**I felt I had to leave before your family woke up. I left you some biscuits. I saw you didn't eat anything last night. This is not much, but I hope it will help. I also left you the salve and some bandages. I would have changed them but I didn't want to wake you up. Don't worry, I'm not leaving you. I'll not be very far. I'll keep an eye on you and I promise we'll see each other today. **_

_**Be careful with your "family."**_

_**Yours,**_

_**Naruto ]**_

Harry could not have been happier. This had not been a dream after all. Naruto had come to see him. Despite the refusal from his uncle, his blond friend had not left and miraculously had stayed and sneaked into the house. He had not given up on him but had healed his injuries and comforted him. No one had ever cared for him. No one had ever been persistent enough to be his friend. Until Naruto. He smiled. A fond smile. Nothing could deter his good mood today, not even the Dursleys and the memories of last night's beating. Happily, he made his way to the kitchen and started preparing some breakfast.

The Dursleys were woken up by the frying smell of bacon and eggs. When entering the kitchen, 'surprised' could not even qualify their face. Having heard them approaching, Harry quickly arranged his features to present a somber face before turning towards his family and serving them. He did this rapidly, washed the pan before asking if he could use the bathroom. Recovering, his aunt warned him that he had five minutes and had to go back to his cupboard while they were eating. He then made his way up to the bathroom, where he brushed his teeth and had a quick shower, before returning to his cupboard. There, he fondly reapplied the salve Naruto had left him and redid his bandages. While he did so, he could not help but wonder where his friend was. He had tried to look through the window of the kitchen but did not see him. He said he would keep an eye on me, right? So where could he be hidden? Reading the note again, it sounded as if he had a secret guardian now. He could not help but chuckle at that. However, he wondered how Naruto could keep an eye on him if he could not see him. He could not ponder this any further as his aunt pounded on his door telling him it was time for school.

Harry was distracted all day, trying to spot Naruto, to no avail. The other children found him weirder than usual, but he paid them no heed, as his mood got darker as the day went on. At the time school ended, he was convinced that his friend had abandoned him. Walking back home, he did not really look where he was going. So when a familiar voice whispered in his ear he could not help but jump.

"Why the sad face?" it said. Harry turned around so quickly that his head spun for a few seconds before he hugged the other boy tightly. Naruto could not help but chuckle.

"Ma, one would have thought you were lost without me."

"Notfunny," came the muffled reply.

"How about we go to the park not far from your house before you head back home?" At this, Harry could not help but sigh.

"I can't. I have to go back home directly and do my chores. If I don't..." he trailed off. He did not have to say more, Naruto understood. He might be beaten otherwise. Swallowing his rising anger, he nodded.

"Ok, I'll walk you home."

"No, you can't! If they see you, they will hurt you too!"

"Don't worry, I'll disappear when we are close," Naruto assured with a wink. "Really, I have a few tricks in my sleeves and I won't be caught," he felt the need to add when he noticed the uncertain look Harry was giving him. Finally, the latter nodded. After a few minutes of silence, Naruto could not help but ask.

"Sooo, do you often spend your free time searching bins?" Hearing this, the ten year old boy could only blush.

"NO!" he exclaimed, "I was looking for you," he finished lamely.

"You were looking for me? In the bins?"

"Well, yeah! I couldn't find you anywhere else! And I searched _everywhere_! Behind the trees and bushes, in storerooms, in the kitchens! But you were nowhere! So I tried the bins!" he logically finished.

"I'm really good at hiding. You wouldn't have found me," Naruto stated confidently.

"What do you mean?"

"This is a secret technique of mine, so I can't tell you." He hastily added when Harry was about to ask. And a secret it was. After all, he could not really tell his friend that he had use a henge to transform himself into a bird. This would be very hard to explain. However, Harry's curiosity had been piqued. A secret technique? What could it be?

"You hid yourself in a tree trunk so that's why I couldn't find you in the branches! You were inside a tree!" he exclaimed his eyes widening in realisation.

"How could one be hidden inside a tree?" the blond boy asked in disbelief.

"You use the holes that are either at the base of the trees or in their centre!" he explained very seriously.

"The holes?"

"Yeah! You know, the holes the birdies use for their nests."

"Oh those holes!" Why had he never thought of using tree holes to hide before? It could have been perfect to spy or to hide in Konoha! How could he have been so stupid! But even if it was a brilliant idea, "Well, this is a good idea, but this is not what I did. But I'll keep your idea for another time," he assured seriously.

"You didn't hide inside a tree? But it must be!" At this, Naruto just ruffled Harry's hair and smiled.

"Ma, don't think of it too much. Just know that I'm around. Now, we're close to your house, I better hide."

"Wait! Will you come tonight?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"Of course." With that the shinobi left while the smaller boy made his way to his aunt's house.

While Harry was at home doing his chores, Naruto had gone and buy some food for Harry. He had the suspicion that the smaller boy did not eat very often. When that was done, he decided to send a message to Jiraya. After all, the old pervert did not know where he was and was supposed to be responsible for him. So after finding a deserted alley and making sure he was alone, he summoned Gamakichi.

"_Yo, oniisan! Why did you call me in this cold place?"_

"_Gomen, but I need you to deliver a message to ero-sennin for me."_

"_A message? Shouldn't you be with him?"_

"_Err... yeah... but I'm with a friend right now, and he doesn't know. So could you help me?"_

"_Fine, but I want food for this!"_

"_Of course! I've already got some cookies for you," _he said while giving the small toad the packet of biscuits.

"_You really know how to spoil us. Now where is this letter?"_

"_Arigatou!" _He said while handing the letter. Soon Gamikichi left in a puff of smoke and Naruto made his way to Harry's house and promptly hid himself in a tree when arriving.

It was only later that night that he silently slipped into the house and joined Harry in his cupboard. This time the emerald eyes were not surprised upon seeing Naruto but where shining with happiness. They did not switch the light this time (as Harry assured that he had treated his bruises) but lay down, the younger boy snuggling against his friend. After a few minutes, the silence was broken by Naruto's soft voice.

"Do your family... do they often... hurt you?" At this, Harry tensed a bit, no really sure how to answer this. But the hand gently rubbing his back reassured him.

"Yes," he whispered, "... when I do not do my chores well... when the school phones because of me... when my uncle had a bad day... when _something_ happened... because..."

"Because?" Naruto gently urged.

"I'm not normal..." At this, the blond went rigid.

"_Not Normal?_ What do you mean, _not normal_?" he asked through gritted teeth. Sensing Naruto's anger, Harry tensed fearing that he might be rejected. Noting the other boy's reluctance to speak, the Leaf ninja realized that he might have frightened his friend and so relaxed.

"You don't have to answer, if you don't want to" Seeing Harry relaxing again, he went on, "My parents died just after I was born, and because of that I grew up in an orphanage. From as long as I can remember I was always treated differently from other children. The adults... they didn't want to look after me, so I was neglected. When I was six, I was kicked out of the orphanage. But Sarutobi-ojiisan helped me and gave me my own flat. But people outside were not better. They hated me. They often chased after me and when they caught me, they would hurt me. I didn't understand why until one told me I was different." Harry remained silent throughout Naruto's story, tightening his grip on the older and crying for his friend's sake.

"It was so hard to be rejected but then ojiisan talked with me. He told me that the villagers were just fools and that being different did not matter. Because I was Naruto Uzumaki, a blessed child of the Earth and that it was the villagers that were not normal for hurting a child. So you see Harry, even if you're different, it's your family that's not normal for what they do to you. After all, you too are a precious child of the Earth." Harry could not help but sob at these comforting words. Never before had he considered that being a freak could be a good thing. His relatives had always treated him like a disease, but now, he knew they were wrong.

"Thank you," he whispered. The only response he received was arms tightening around him as he slowly drifted to sleep, basking in his friend's warmth.

00000000000

The past few days were spent quite similarly. Naruto would spend his nights with Harry and follow him to school. But contrary to the first day, he made himself visible at school, but only to his friend. He even had the pleasure to play some pranks on Dudley and his gang. Nothing too dangerous, mind you. No, he just managed to make Harry's cousin and his friend look like young perverts. Sometimes they would end up in the girls' toilets while being chased by a ferocious red dog (" A red dog! Don't mess up with me, Mr Dursley! Red dogs do not exist!"). Sometimes they would end up with girls' underwear in their school bags. Therefore, these days, you could often see the gang of whales being chased by mobs of girls. Mrs Dursley had been horrified by her son's behaviour and had promptly decided that he needed to see a psychologist, while Vernon thought that it was normal for a healthy young boy to take an interest in girls. However, he warned Dudley to be more discreet as his current behaviour only tarnished the family's image. Of course, this caused tension between Mr and Mrs Dursleys, which was a good thing as they thus tended to forget Harry.

However, it was now Saturday and the perfect-happy-family-with-only-a-slight-disagreement had gone out to fix their not-real-problem and had left Harry alone in the house for the day. After waiting for several minutes and making sure that the Dursleys were really gone, Harry rushed to the back garden to let Naruto in.

"So what do you wanna do? We have all day to enjoy ourselves!"

"Um... we can go to the park and play for a while?" Harry suggested unsure.

"Sure! Grab your coat and let's go!"

And so they spent the morning playing in the park, running and laughing. At one point they even pretended to be pirates, and a fierce battle of twigs took place. Soon, it was time for lunch and the two boys went back home. They were exhausted, well Harry was, and were happy to be back in the warmth of the house. Taking off their coats, they made their way to the kitchen where they had some sandwiches.

They were halfway through their lunch, when the front door banged open. Jumping from their chairs, they silently crept in the living room only to be met by a very angry Vernon. They had been so immersed in their own world that they had not heard the screeching car that pulled up in front of the house. Naruto cursed his stupidity for having let his guard down. Being in the Outside World had lulled him in a false sense of security. After all, what could be dangerous for a shinobi here? Vernon went from one boy to the other, his eyes bulging from anger and his face becoming even further red.

"What is the meaning of this?" he finally yelled, "I thought I was clear the other day when I said you couldn't see _him_!" before turning to Harry. "And you little freak! Who gave you the right to accept strangers in this house!"

"Well, if you had let us see each other in the first place, we would not have to sneak behind your back!" Naruto yelled back.

"How dare you! You little..." Vernon went on grabbing the lamp next to him and made to hit Naruto with it. However, before he could even land a blow, he was interrupted by an anguished yell from Harry, who was terrified for his blond, and without thinking he willed the lamp to become harmless. And harmless it became as it transformed into a beautiful white daffodil. At the magical display, all was silent until Petunia let out a terrified squeal, leading Vernon to mechanically dropping the flower. The Dursleys had become extremely pale.

"Freak!" Vernon accused after a few seconds, before turning to Naruto. "Look at what he is! Just an anomaly, a freak that shouldn't even have the right to exist! Do you still want to be in the presence of such a monstrosity?" At his uncle's harsh words, Harry could only bend his head in shame, waiting for the rejection that was sure to come.

Naruto had been ready to stop the lamp, after all the man was no match for him, but when a flower replaced the lamp, he was shocked. Did Harry really do that? That would explain how he was different. But then he heard Vernon's words. Harsh words that he was so familiar with and he could not forgive the elephant-like man for them. Slowly, his blood was boiling and his anger was rising.

"You are his _family_! How could you treat him like that! He is not a monster! Just because he can do thing does not mean this is bad. How could you treat your own blood with so much hatred and contempt? It's not his fault if he was different, and yet you treat him like a plague! No! _You_ are the monsters for neglecting and beating up a _child. _You do not deserve to be called human!"

"How dare you coming into my house and calling me monster!" Vernon shouted. However, he could not say more, as Naruto lifted his head and turned angry and terrifying red eyes towards him. Now that he paid attention, he noticed, the deepening scars on the boy's cheeks, the sharp nails and were those canines? "You... Mon... Monster!" At these words, an almost invisible orange air surrounded the blond.

"Ma, perhaps I should beat you like you did for Harry..." Naruto answered, but before he could act upon his threat, he felt small hands griping his right arm. Turning his head, he met Harry's grateful eyes. He was not afraid?

"You should not beat them... because then, you would be like them... monsters, right?" At this, Naruto smiled and gradually calmed down to Harry's soothing touch.

"Mattaku gaki, I left you for one day, and you managed to find trouble!" At the familiar voice, Naruto's head quickly turned.

"Ero-sennin!"

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><p><strong>Here we go. I know this chapter was heavier than the previous one, but I felt it was necessary, even though I tried to include some lighter scenes. I tried to give Naruto great speeches, like those Kishimoto so skillfully writes, but I don't know if I really managed that. <strong>

**Anyway, next chapter will probably be about revelations^^.**


	6. A Decisive Choice

**AN : I've been a bit busy this past few days, but ** I managed to find time to write this chapter and post it. Not that it was easy, as I quite hesitated in what I could or could not reveal in this chapter about the ninjas/wizards relation. Eventually, I decided that the small hints I left were enough for now.****

**Thank you for the reviews you all left. I am really thrilled and happy that you like my story so far. To answer some of you. Yes, it will be a Naruto/Harry pairing. I didn't have enough space to add it in the summary. But, it will happen much later. They are a bit young for my liking. And Yes, I planned to have Naruto change the Dursleys, or some of them anyway, although, this will be a slow process.**

**Well, enough of blabla and on with the story.**

**Notes**

**_[ Text ]_ : Letters and messages**

_Text_ **: Japanese Speaking**

**Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5 – A Decisive Choice<strong>

A little more than three weeks had passed since they had first set foot in the Outside World. It had roughly taken them one week to reach Europe. The further they were from the West Passage the safer they would be. Of course, the majority of the population in the Hidden Continent were not aware that a whole world existed beyond their boundaries or that they were hidden for that matter. But they were dealing with the Akatsuki and from the information he had been able to gather, Jiraya knew that it was not a group to be underestimated. Plus, Orochimaru had been in their ranks at some point and even if the chances were low, the Snake Sannin could have shared this particular knowledge with his fellow members. So that was why they had decided to stay far away from the Elemental Countries' border.

However, if he had had a say in it, he would have certainly not chosen _Britain_. How could anyone choose a country where no onsen could be found? But the Old Toad from the Mount Myôboku had been adamant. _'Albion,'_ he had said, '_Albion is where you will take your student.'_ When he had asked why, a simple '_Because you have to'_ was the only answer he had received before the ancient toad had fallen asleep. The Sannin had not tried to question it, although it had left him quite thoughtful. Why was the ancient toad so insistent? He had easily figured out that it must have been important but not knowing why was quite unsettling. Eventually he had followed the advice. After all, he had trusted the Old Toad before. Of course, this trust had been questioned when they had had a hard time finding where Albion was. Fortunately they had met a couple of British pensioners while being in Hong-Kong who explained that Albion was actually an old name for Britain. Why hadn't the Old Toad told him this to begin with? Was it too hard to actually provide updated information?

When arriving in Britain, he had again cursed the Old Toad when he had realised that there were no onsen in this country. How could he be expected to produce masterpieces if he could not do proper research? Eventually, he had resigned himself to his faith, but promised that he would find a way to resolve this problem. In the meantime, he had promptly started gathering information on the country itself, its status, its geography, but particularly on the other hidden community. The latter had not been an easy task, as he had to be extremely discreet. It would not do well to attract their attention. After all, ninjas were not supposed to be here. Hell, they were not even supposed to know about _them_. Well, Naruto did not know and he was firmly decided to keep it that way. His student was still too young to know about that, even if he would be the future Hokage. And anyway, it was not as if he would stumble across a magical person in normal Britain. So that was why he could leave Naruto alone for a few days. Moreover, the young boy knew that he had to remain unnoticed.

However, when he received the first message from his student saying that he was with a friend, Jiraya had first been worried. How could he have made a friend so quickly? Well this was Naruto that he was talking about, so of course, he would have made a friend already! But still, this could very be dangerous as their existence must be kept secret. Of course, he knew the gennin was not stupid and would not divulge sensitive information. But what if he became attached to this friend of his? This could be bad. So he had sent an answer demanding the blond boy to come back for their training. He had expected the younger ninja to come up the very next morning at the prospect of training, but to his surprise or rather horror, he had received another message instead, stating that he would stay a few more days for his friend's sake. The Toad Sannin had to wait about thirty minutes before he had been calm enough to answer. However, he had not even started writing as Gamatatsu appeared with another letter.

_**[ Ero-sennin,**_

_**I've got a favour to ask you. I would like to take Harry with us and keep him away from his horrible family. If you could see them! They are the worse family someone could have, that is if you can call them family. Anyway, I haven't spoken to Harry yet, but I'm sure he won't mind. So, all I need is for you to say yes. And know that if you don't agree, I won't come back dattebayo!**_

_**Naruto ]**_

When he had finished reading it, the older man had not known if he had to be angry at the younger ninja or if he had to be incredulous. Sometimes he really wondered if Naruto had a brain. Could he not see that it would be impossible to bring this Harry back with them in the Elementary Countries. And really, his family could not be that bad, no matter what his student could say. So deciding that this was unacceptable, he had asked the toad to lead him to Naruto. However, being quite young, he needed some help. So they had summoned Gamakichi, and the toad sibling managed to bring the Sannin to Little Whinging. And that was where he was now.

A quick look at his surrounding and Jiraya concluded that it was a peaceful neighbourhood and really wondered how Naruto could think that an horrible family could live here. However, he was more concerned about what Gamakichi had told him about the air surrounding the house. But as he tried to gauge it, he could not find anything suspicious and turned a questioning eye to the small toad.

"_I can't feel anything different. Are you sure of what you told me?"_

"_Of course I am! It's not my fault if you're too dense to sense it!"_ Jiraya would have happily smacked the toad but restrained himself.

"_Well, if you know better than me, what is it?"_

"_I don't know."_

"_You don't know."_

"_Well, yeah. It's weird but at the same time it's sort of familiar but I can't put my finger on it."_

The Sannin considered him a moment. The baby toad seemed quite serious and puzzled, so it had to be something. And this was another reason to keep Naruto away from this place. Turning once more toward the house, he took a moment to think before deciding that it was certainly prudent to examine the situation before barging in. After all, it would do no good to surprise the non gifted people. So discreetly, he followed Naruto's signature and found himself observing two boys enjoying their meal. They seemed so happy and somehow he felt a bit guilty knowing that he would have to separate them. A bit. However, the peaceful moment was broken with the arrival of the rest of the family, and what he witnessed was quite shocking.

After all, Naruto had not exaggerated when he had said this family was horrible. However, more shocking was what the small boy, Harry, had done. He could not be...? Jiraya tried to convince himself that he had imagined it. But no, this was real. He groaned. Only Naruto would find a magical person in the middle of Normal Britain. What had he done for this to happen? However, before he could lament any further, he was brought out of his thoughts by Kyubi's chakra, slowly leaking from Naruto. This was bad. If his student lost control, this could be a disaster. He had to act quickly. Again he was shocked before he could even move. The other boy had managed to calm Naruto down! And just with a few words! How could this be possible? Was it because of his gift? Then this would be beneficial... But no, he could not think about that. Even if the idea seemed tempting, the rules would not allow it. So there was no reason to dwell upon it. Sighing, he made himself known.

"Mattaku gaki, I left you for one day, and you managed to find trouble!"

"Ero-sennin!" Ah, the look of shocked surprise was priceless. What did the gaki expect anyway, that he would keep quiet and accept his demand? Recovering after a few seconds, Naruto then asked, automatically switching in Japanese.

"_What are you doing here? How did you find me? I'm sure I didn't give you this address!"_

"_I had some help."_

"_Help?... Gamakichi? Gamatatsu? How? They don't know the exact address!"_

"_Oh, I had them summoned me here."_

"_Summoned you?..."_

"_Yeah, and this will be an explanation for later. Now, however, you will say your goodbyes and we'll leave."_ Naruto needed a few minutes before he could proceed his shishou's words.

"_What do you mean 'we'll leave'? We can't leave him here! Didn't you hear his uncle? He was ready to beat him!"_ the young boy cried.

"_I heard very well, and I'm sorry for that. But we can't do anything about it! It would be dangerous for him to be with us and we can't steal a child from his family!"_

"_I'm sure his family wouldn't say anything if we took him! And I would protect him! Don't you try and separate us, old man! He is unhappy here and neglected! I won't stand by and watch another child's sufferings just because he's different!"_ Jiraya then realised that Naruto had seen himself in the other child and was trying to save him. However, he could not allow it.

"_Naruto, listen. We can't allow an Outsider to know about us. This is too risky..."_

"_I DON'T CARE! Plus, this is one person out of millions. We could keep it a secret!"_ Before he could even reply, Naruto had quickly grabbed Harry and had fled through the back door. He groaned. This would be more difficult than he had anticipated.

Vernon who had kept quiet throughout the exchange between the foreigners made himself known, now that the monster was gone.

"WHAT WAS THE MEANING OF THIS! And who are you to enter my house uninvited?"

"I am sorry, sir. I am Naruto's guardian and was here to pick him up. Again I apologize for his behaviour," he answered while bowing deeply.

"You think you can get on with it that easily, you freak! The old freak had said in his letter that you lot would not bother us! Was that a lie?"

"um... I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

"As if I would believe you! And where did your monster go?" Jiraya had to fight the urge to incapacitate the other man for insulting his godson.

"Well, _Naruto_ had decided that he would keep Harry with him and take him away from you!"

"He can't!" answered the woman and Jiraya noticed that she had blanched. "He can't or we'll be in trouble..." she murmured. At these words, Vernon paled as well and the Sannin's curiosity was piqued. Why would they be in trouble? Had they been threatened? Sure he had not had the intention to dig in other people's life when coming here, but something was telling him that he should investigate.

"My lady, how could you and your lovely family be in any trouble?" he asked sending her his most charming smile.

000000000000000

Harry had absolutely no idea of what was going on. One moment, Naruto was arguing with a strange man with long white spiky hair and the next he found himself on his friend's back running at incredible speed and jumping from roofs to roofs. Was he dreaming again? No it was real and this was amazing! Slowly the black haired boy stopped thinking and began enjoying the ride. He had never experienced anything like this before. He could feel the cold wind against his cheeks and playing in his messy hair. He had the impression to be free and could not help the small giggle that escaped his lips. However, the run soon stopped and he found himself sitting on Naruto's laps while the older boy was hugging him tightly while pressing his face on the younger boy's shoulder.

"I won't let you stay with them," he murmured, "You won't go back. I promise I'll make Ero-sennin see sense and you will come with us!" Harry was quite shocked. Naruto wanted him to go with him!

"You really want to?"

"Of course, I wouldn't have said it otherwise."

"Even if I'm a freak..."

"You're not!" He said firmly while looking down at Harry. "Don't ever believe them! Ever!" Harry simply nodded.

"So, tell me, do you often change things into flowers?" Naruto asked after a while.

"No, it's the first time," Harry hesitated before continuing, "but I can do other things."

"Really!" Naruto asked wanting to hear more and Harry complied, telling him all the times when strange things had happened and how he had mastered some of his abilities. In the end, the young ninja only wanted to see more of this gift.

"Can you show me something?" he asked eagerly. The smaller boy seemed to think for a moment before raising his right hand. For a few minutes, he had an extremely concentrated expression on his face before a small glinting light appeared in the palm of this hand. Slowly, the light grew bigger forming an orb the size of an apple. Naruto was in complete awe.

"This is so beautiful," he whispered, not taking his eyes away from the light. Tentatively, he approached his hand towards the orb. It was warm and welcoming. "You have a beautiful gift." Harry blushed at this and the light faded.

"It's not much," he mumbled, "and you are gifted too!"

"Anyone could do what I did with some training."

"But you were jumping from roofs to roofs. It was like flying! No one can do that here!"

"Well at home, a lot of people can."

"Where is home?" he asked after a while. Somehow, after what he witnessed today, Harry knew his friend had not told him everything about his origins. Naruto considered him for a moment. If Harry was to come with them, he would have to know about the Elemental Countries.

"I'm not really from Japan, but from a place nearby. It's called the Elemental Countries."

"The Elemental Countries? I've never heard of this place before."

"Yeah, you wouldn't, since the whole continent is hidden."

"It's hidden!" Harry exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Yeah. I don't really know why or how, but our existence is unknown from the people living here, in the Outside World. Ero-sennin told me it was because our way of life was different and our techniques must be kept secret."

"What techniques?"

"Shinobi or ninja technique"

"Ninjas! Wait, ninjas have secret techniques! I didn't know, they never mentioned that in movies."

"Ero-sennin told me about the ninjas here. They do not have the same skills as us."

"Us? As in you?"

"Yeah, I'm ninja."

"This is awesome! So this continent you're from is only for ninjas like you?"

"Not really. There are also civilian villages and towns. But most of the important countries have a shinobi village. For example, I'm a ninja of Konaha, the Hidden village of the Leaf, which is in Hi no Kuni or Fire Country."

"Wait. Your village is hidden within the hidden continent! How do you do to find it if it's hidden!"

"Well technically Konoha is not hidden, but is called "hidden" because it's a shinobi village."

"That's a bit confusing," Harry admitted.

"Well, I supposed it could be for an Outsider."

"At least, there are other ninjas... I don't know if there are other people like me. I'm not even sure that I would recognise them if they existed." the smaller boy stated quite subdued. Naruto understood. Before Gaara, he had thought that he was the only jinchuriki and somehow when meeting the Sand ninja, he had felt better to know he was not the only one, that he was not an anomaly. Turning to Harry, the younger boy's eyes bore sadness and longing. So small and puny with big green eyes that stood out, along with this strange scar... a scar...

"Your scar... its shape is quite unusual..."

"Yeah, I think it's the coolest thing I have," Harry answered proudly.

"What if it was a mark that only people like you bear..." Naruto continued thoughtfully. As for Harry, he had not considered this idea before. His uncle had told him that he received his scar from the car accident that had killed his parents.

"No, it can't be. I received it in a car crash, my uncle told me." Naruto turned to him with narrowed eyes. He had seen what a car crash was in a movie when he was in his hotel room some days ago.

"The shape of your scar is quite neat and distinct, and I don't believe a car crash could do that," he pointed out, "Usually scars are not that clear. Yours is a clear lightning bolt, like mines are whiskers..." he finished. Naruto seemed quite serious about this. Could it really be that his scar was some sort of a sign? Like Naruto's...

"Naruto," he whispered remembering what happened earlier in his house, "Are you... Could you be like me? You have scars too..." he asked hopefully. The young shinobi turned painful eyes towards the sky, avoiding his friend's gaze. How he hoped to be like Harry, a pure and beautiful being. But no, he was a demon, a monster.

"No... I'm not... I'm..." he trailed off. Sensing the unease of the older boy, Harry instinctively wrapped his arms around the other's neck hugging him warmly while whispering in his ears.

"You don't have to tell me now."

This is how Jiraya found the two boys, wrapped tightly in each others' arms, while sitting on a tree branch. After some convincing, (understand some powerful intimidation techniques) the Dursleys had eventually explained their situation. Harry was indeed a magical boy that had been placed in their custody after his parents' death. He was to stay with them for security reasons (they had not told him why) and if he left the house, _they_ would know. This particular fact was a proof that he was right to keep Naruto away from this house and he was very decided to use force if necessary to separate the boys. However, the image displayed in front of his eyes at the moment was quite endearing and the most remarkable thing was that Naruto was showing a quite vulnerable face. The young boy had always been cheerful despite the harsh life he had had. The Sannin was not stupid, he knew jinchurikis were often badly treated and Naruto had not escaped this fate. He had always wondered how the boy could still smile after so much sufferings. Now he had his answer. He was hiding it. But strangely enough, his emotional barriers seemed to be shattered around young Harry. The Sannin's resolve was not as firm as it had been a few minutes ago. He had to think, again. So, he left the boys for the moment and discreetly moved further into the park they were currently in.

He was in turmoil. What should he do? There were rules that forbid interactions between ninjas and magical people, as it had been quite disastrous in the past. Allowing it could only bring chaos. This was a knowledge that had been instilled in his mind from the first time he had come to the Outside World with his former sensei and team mates. At the times, they had not had any more explanation from old Sarutobi. The reasons of the rules were only known by the Kages. The Third had only brought them to the Outside World because he had still had hope of making Orochimaru his successor. Jiraya was a shinobi and knew the importance of rules. But when he saw his godson happy, happier than he had ever been, how could he abide by them? He sighed. If only he could have some help, some advice, it would be so much easier, he thought while going to sit down on a nearest bench. He was still in his inner torment when a small voice brought him back to reality.

"Why are you so troubled?" It was a child. A boy who seemed to be around eight or nine and was wearing a forest green cloak with the hood only revealing a mob of black hair and a very pale face. His traits were so delicate he could have passed for a girl, but it was his blue eyes that stood out. They seemed ancient and knowing, and surprising himself, Jiraya answered the child.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well, your forehead was funnily wrinkled and yours eyes seemed... tormented."

"You would be tormented too if you were in my situation."

"Oh?"

"What would you do if you could not make someone's happy because something would prevent it?"

"Something?"

"Rules. Rules that stand against somebody's happiness." The young child thought about it for a few minutes before answering.

"Happiness is more important than rules, especially if this someone is precious to you." Jiraya pondered this. Naruto was precious to him, even if he had not been able to take care of him before. Perhaps it was time to act as a godfather? And rules are only words after all, words that only have meanings if you follow them. Yes, he would make Naruto happy and probably Harry too. It would be dangerous, of course. They would have to be discreet as to not be detected. And because of that, they could not take Harry from his house, if what his aunt had told him. However, this did not mean that Naruto and him could not be nearby. Yes, this could work. Now, he had to convince the gaki and probably revealed a bit more than what he had intended to.

"You're right," he said turning back to the small boy, "Happiness is more important. You have helped me greatly. Who would have thought a kid could be so useful? Here take this chocolate as a reward. I had kept it for my godson, but you deserve it more than him. And don't thank me, I know, I'm awesome this way!" He said while flashing a sparkling smile. The child regarded him a moment as if he was a complete nutter before extending a pale hand and accepting the "reward." Jiraya then noticed a silver bracelet at the boy's wrist which had a strange, but mesmerising pattern on it. Simple spirals joined together at their base. This could be a beautiful gift for a woman, he thought. He was about to ask where to buy it, when he noticed that the boy was already leaving the park. Well, he supposed he could find it anywhere in this country. Now he had to confront Naruto.

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><p><strong>That's it for chapter five! Sorry if the description of the bracelet is not well very informative, but I didn't really know how to describe it properly. <strong>

**Hopefully, I will be able to update the next chapter soon.**


	7. A Confusing Situation

**AN : Here is the next chapter. This one is probably less exciting than the previous ones. But well I had to deal with the Dursleys one way or another. Anyway, I'll let you judge it^^**

**Disclaimer : I do not own HP or Naruto.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6 – A Confusing Situation<strong>

Looking up at the two boys peacefully perched in the tree, Jiraya knew he had come to the right decision. The boys were cuddling in each other' arms and did not seem to be ready to let go. However, as beautiful as this picture might be, the older man had to talk to them. Hopefully, Naruto would understand that taking Harry from his house was not an option, at least for now. So coming closer to the tree as to appear visible to the youngsters, he cleared his throat loudly.

"Ma, who would have thought Konoha's loudest ninja could be that cute!" he could not help but tease. Almost jumping from surprise, Naruto managed to regain his composure before scowling at the older ninja.

"Shut up, Ero-sennin! I'm the future incredible and awesome Hokage! I'm not cute!"

"If you say so... Now, get down here, we have things to discuss. And no, I won't separate you from your friend," he added when seeing the blond boy tightening his grip on the smaller boy. Relaxing at this statement, Naruto jumped down from the tree, Harry securely in his arms, and landed neatly in front of Jiraya.

"What is there to discuss if he's staying with us?"

"I've never said he's staying with us."

"But you just said..."

"... that I won't separate you!" He sighed. The day was not over yet and he was already mentally tired. "The situation young Harry is in is quite complicated and because of that we can't simply take him from his house." The black haired boy felt his heart slowly sank at these words. So he could never be free from the Dursleys?

"What do you mean 'complicated?' You better have a good explanation old man!"

"Of course, there's a good explanation, brat!" the Sannin answered making sure to punch his student on the head for his attitude, "And learn to respect your elders! Mattaku, what is it with brats nowadays?" he finished muttering under his breath.

"Oye Ero-sennin! Stop mumbling already and answer us!"

"Aye, aye, but we need a more private place. What I'm about to reveal is not for every ears to know." Intrigued by the serious comment, the two friends decided to comply and follow Jiraya. When an adequate corner was found, the boys found themselves sitting on the cold ground while the Sannin was pacing in front of them. After about five minutes of following his shishou's dizzying movements, Naruto decided that he had enough of waiting.

"Ero-sennin, if you don't stop your pacing I swear I'll tell Obaa-chan about your secret peeping holes in the Hyuga private onsen!"

"What! How d'you even know about them?" At Naruto's smirking face, Jiraya could only scowl before relenting and beginning his explanation. "Ok. I suppose you told Harry about the Elemental Countries, right?" At Naruto's nod, he continued, "Well, what you don't know is as our community is hidden, another is hidden as well, although they live closer to the Normal World than us. This community is called the Wizarding World. When we can use chakra, they can use _magic,_" he stressed the last word meaningfully pointing at Harry, "However, for what I understand, their community is dispatched into smaller ones throughout the Outside World."

"Do you mean to say... that what I can do is really magic? That there are others like me?" Harry whispered hopefully. He was not the only one after all. They were others like him. He was not a freak! But then why was he not with them, he asked.

"I don't have an answer to this question. From what your aunt told me, you were placed into her custody after your parents' death for your own safety. And she was told that you could not leave the house if she didn't want any problem."

"What does that mean exactly?" asked a suspicious Naruto.

"From what I could guess, I would say that Harry is probably watched somehow."

"Watched? But that's not possible, because no one ever came to see me!"

"So we can take him with us!"

"This is not that simple. Magic is more complicated than that and works in ways that I can't understand. But my guess is that they, whoever they are, could possibly keep an eye on Harry without physically being here."

"But then what? I refuse to leave Harry alone here!"

"And you won't." At his student's questioning look, Jiraya began to explain his plan.

000000000000000

A few hours later, the two boys and the Sannin found themselves in the Dursleys' living room in company of said Dursleys. The atmosphere was thick with tension and uneasiness. None dared moving and if one was to pass by number 4 Privet Drive, one would have thought that mannequins were posing in the room. The Dursleys were all sitting straight in their couch. Petunia's complexion had paled even further and she had a frightened expression on his face. Vernon hesitated between glaring at Harry or cowering from the two other freaks. And Dudley had only one wish : to escape to the safety of his room. On the opposite side, Naruto was openly glaring at the perfect family, unconsciously releasing small waves of killing intent. Jiraya seemed completely at ease, having a radiant smile on his face, as if he was with long-time friends. And Harry, well he was really thrilled to see his relatives in such frightened states and had difficulties to keep from sniggering, but knew better than openly mocking his family. In the end, he had the most ridiculous expression on his face. A twisted smile turned into a grimace of seriousness. After some time, Jiraya decided that they had been silent enough.

"Well, now that we're all back and safe, let's talk about Harry's life here and the amelioration of his future living condition."

"What amelioration!" Vernon roared, "There is no need for amelioration! And you don't have a say in how we raise our nephew."

"Oh, but I do. After all, he is part of our people and even if I can't take him away, you can't stop me from intervening." Well, that was a lie, but it was not his fault if they had assumed that he was from the wizarding world.

"No, you can't, he said..."

"I know that perfectly, but the well-being of one of our own is more important. And anyway, it's not as if you could do anything against it." he replied while throwing a powerful wave of killer intent, freezing the Dursleys momentarily. "See, it's not that difficult to simply agree. Now, that said, back to the present matter. First, you will give Harry a proper bedroom. I believe there's a room upstairs filled with junks that would be perfectly acceptable." Understanding dawned on Dudley and bravely or foolishly made his discontent known.

"No, we can't give him my second bedroom, muuuum! I need this room! This is a vital part of myself! Please, mum!" he whined.

"You listen, stupid pig!" Naruto growled while jumping to his feet and slowly approaching the other blond, "You will give Harry this room. You will take your junks back to your room. You won't whine any more or I swear you won't be able to even yell again!" he continued while giving a pointed glare at Petunia as she was about to intervene.

"From now on, you will feed him _correctly_. He won't do chores any more. To make sure that you follow these instructions, I will stay here until Ero-sennin and I find a place to live nearby. And don't even try to stop me or you'll regret it." he finished his eyes flashing red briefly. Swallowing thickly the three Dursleys could only nod weakly. With that, the young ninja slowly left the room dragging Harry with him upstairs. Naruto had definitely managed to scared them for life and Jiraya did not know if it was a good thing or not. Only time would tell. Turning back to the Dursleys, he had to make sure that they did not try anything when he was gone or worse tell someone about them. Perhaps a well-played genjutsu could do the trick, at least for now.

00000000000

The room was a real mess. Broken toys were scattered all over the place and you could not even enter the room. You could not even see the floor and only the upper half of a window was visible. The two boys shared a look and mirrored wicked smiles spread on their faces.

"DUDLEY!" Naruto shouted, "Bring your fat ass up here and help us cleaning your mess!" They heard a high eep, heavy shuffling, stairs creaking and before them appeared a panting and scared looking Dudley. The young ninja pointed to the room and the fat little boy started collecting his toys. Upon examining closely the said toys, Naruto could not help but comment.

"What did you do to these toys? Do you have a problem with your hands to have all them broken? Some of them look quite new!" Faced with these accusations, Dudley did not know how to answer. Really what could he say, that the toys were not cooperative? But he did not have to answer, as Harry graciously decided to spare him the effort.

"I've always wondered about that myself. I mean he _always_ manages to break his new toys after playing with them two or three times. At first, I thought he was a big idiot who didn't understand how the toys work, but he even managed to break a bike! So it can't be for that reason."

"Really? I would keep the idiot theory. What do you have in mind exactly?"

"Well, there are many possibilities. He could indeed have a problem with his hands. Perhaps, they are not fit for toys."

"Mmm, let's see that. Dudley! Show us your hands!" The Dursley boy who had stopped his cleaning to listen to the other two boys' conversation could only stare in horror when they approach him and grabbed each of his hands. "Well, he has small fat hands. Urgh they're almost greasy. Greasy like a pig," Naruto added in disgust. Harry just hummed in agreement but continued his inspection. Really, he would have never dared to come that close to Dudley before, but now Naruto was here so he could act without much fear for retaliation.

"His piggy hands could explained why he can't play with toys for long."

"Piggy hands, huh? Wonder what they're good for then?"

"Oh that's easy! They're good for eating of course!"

"Oh yeah! That would explain all the fat... although, how come he ended up with pig hands?"

"That's a good question! I've never thought of that!" Harry exclaimed his eyes widening with questions. While the two boys sat there thinking, Dudley remained there unmoving not really knowing what to do when a glare from Naruto sent him back to cleaning. After a few minutes of silence, Harry suddenly shouted making the Dudley jumped and dropping what he had in his hands.

"I got it! I know why he had piggy hands!"

"You do?" Naruto asked, eager to hear the answer. After all, past experiences had proved the young ninja that Harry always came with perfectly reasonable theories. Strangely enough, Dudley found himself anxiously approaching his cousin. After all, they had seemed quite serious before, so if Harry had an answer he would like to know too. "I think that he has piggy hands because he is in constant presence of piggy things!" the green eyed boy stated sagely.

"Piggy things?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah! Every morning he eats a full plate of bacon, precisely ten pieces each morning. I know I cook it. Then every Wednesday, he had mashed potatoes and sausages for dinner. He has exactly three pieces, sometimes more if he is a good boy. Every Friday, he has pork chops for dinner. Then every summer, he spent one week with aunt Marge, and I know he eats lots of black pudding! Oh, and I remember, we visited a farm once with school and I swear the pigs were a bit too friendly with him for it to no be suspicious!" he finished happy with his reasoning.

"Wouah! So, he's cursed by the pig population. Well now I understand why he is so fat, that explains a lot." Naruto nodded seriously.

Meanwhile, Dudley stood horrified. It could not be! They were messing with his head like his father told him. Yes, freaks take pleasure in messing up with you. But as he looked back to the other two boys, he only saw thoughtful expressions on their faces. They really believe pigs had something to do with his hands! And did the blond freak said he was fat? His mum told him that he was just a healthy boy! And pigs could not really have anything to do with it, could they? They were only pigs! It was not possible! But then, he remembered the pantomime he saw a few weeks ago. There were pirates, fairies and flying boys in it. So, surely if they existed, then pigs could curse people! Looking back at his hands, he could only stare and began noticing similarities with pigs' paws. His eyes widened in horror. Oh no! He had a pig curse! Unable to face the truth, the poor boy could only flee to his room all the while screaming.

"Oye! Where do you think you're going? You're not finished!" Naruto yelled but Dudley had already left.

"That's ok, Naru. I think he needs time to come to term with this knowledge."

"But he left most of his mess for us to clean," the blond childishly whined. Harry could only chuckle at his friend's behaviour.

"Oh come on, we can do it. And we'll certainly be faster than him." Sighing, Naruto reluctantly nodded and the two boys picked up where Harry's cousin had left.

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After one hour of cleaning and dusting, the room was now devoid of junks. Harry had been right. They had worked quite fast and the room could immediately be used. They had been surprised to find a single bed there, and Naruto had to stop himself from going downstairs and beat Harry's uncle for letting his nephew sleep in a cupboard when there was a proper bed available. At the moment, they were lying on said bed in silence. Harry was marvelling at his new bedroom. He had a real bed now. It was far more comfortable than his mattress under the stairs. He had a desk and a chair too. Now he could do his homework properly. There was even a lamp, so that he could read until late. He even had a wardrobe! Well, he did not have that much clothes, but it was the idea that mattered! Perhaps he could even make a secret place inside. Yes! He would then hide precious things! Well, he did not have precious things yet, nor did he know what could be precious things, but that did not matter! He will arrange this secret place anyway! Perhaps Naruto would help. Turning towards the older boy to ask him, he found a very thoughtful and serious looking shinobi.

"Naruto?" he asked uncertainly.

"Mmm?"

"Are you ok?"

"Huh? Yeah, of course! Is something the matter?"

"Well, you look quite perturbed."

"Oh, I was just thinking."

"About?" Harry felt the need to press when his friend did not continue.

"About what Jiraya told us earlier."

"Oh."

"Yeah. He didn't seem to know that much about the magical community."

"I know." Harry had really wished that the Sannin would tell him more about the Wizarding world but the older man had not know much. "Who are those Kages he was talking about?"

"Oh, Kages are the leaders of the shinobi villages. From what he told us, only the Kages of the main shinobi villages know of the Outside World."

"The main shinobi villages?"

"Yes, respectively, the Hokage leader of Konoha; the Kazekage leader of Suna, the village hidden in the Sand in Wind Country; the Mizukage leader of Kiri, the village hidden in the Mist in Water Country; the Raikage leader of Kumo the village hidden in the Cloud in Lightning Country and the Tsuchikage leader of Iwa the village hidden in the Stone in Earth Country. They are the biggest countries in the Hidden Continent."

"So only these leaders know of us."

"With two chosen advisers each, yes."

"So, is Jiraya one of your Hokage's advisers?"

"Well, I'm not sure. He should be but there are the two old owls of the Council, so it's a bit confusing."

"Perhaps we should ask him?"

"Yes, we should..."

"How about the monks he mentioned?"

"He was surely talking about the monks who guard the Passage from there to here. You can only cross the passage with their help. But they are not many. There were only five of them when we needed to cross."

"Mmm. And on this side, there's also a very small number of wizards who know."

"Yeah. An international wizarding group or something."

"That's very vague."

"Tell that to Ero-sennin." Naruto mumbled back. He really wished to know more about all this. He and Harry were in a delicate situation, he realised now, and they had to tread carefully. He would not give Harry up. He was too involved for that, but he did not like being in the dark. Perhaps he could get hold on some information. The Wizarding world would be too troublesome to look into and he had no knowledge of it anyway. Asking Baa-chan was out of the question as Ero-sennin would then be in trouble. So he had only one option left. Of course it would probably take time before he could hope to receive any kind of information if any at all, but he would have to try this option. And anyway, it was not as if he would be refused.

"Naruto? Do you think we'll be all right? Do you think we'll be able to stay together." Harry asked softly, tearing Naruto from his previous thoughts.

"It probably won't be easy, especially as we don't know much about you. We'll probably have to find out more. But, we'll do our best. I refuse to leave you here. We'll find a way!" the Konoha genin assured, trying to instil confidence and faith in his younger friend, and probably in his own heart as well. They remained silent after that cuddling in each other arms, basking in the peaceful atmosphere. Dinner will only be served in a couple of hours, so for now they could relax.

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><p><strong>Here you go. I had a silly pleasure in torturing poor Dudley. But really he deserves it^^<strong>

**You also a bit more information about the wizard/shinobi relationship, although it might be a bit confusing. But just so you know, it's normal at this point in the story, as the characters themselves are quite confused. **

**Well, that's all for now. Next chapter will be a bit more exciting, I hope.^^**


	8. Information Gathering

**AN**** : Back with a new chapter. It took a bit of time to write it but I had to decide on how Harry will be confronted with his past. Hopefully, it is not too awkward.**

**Thank you all for you reviews. I know the last chapter was not my best one, but I'll keep in mind you comment mabidiso**** ^^ and to answer some of you :**

**zen129 : I'm really sorry about the confusing age. I should have make it clear from the beginning. Anyway, I edited the prologue and explained it. If you're a Naruto purist, really I'm sorry but I needed to change the time setting.**

**TrenchcoatMan : As for Dudley, I indeed intend to work on "what he could be" side as you put it. The pig curse episode even if it has humouristic purposes, will have a role in Dudley's education. Naruto will obviously have a part in it, but Harry as well, because I think it is important he has a role too. And for Kyuubi, I have something planned linked with the magic, but it will only be revealed bits by bits and not necessarily in obvious ways.**

**Well, I think that's it.^^**

**Notes**

_Text_ : **Japanese Speaking**

**_[ Text ]_ : Letters and messages**

**Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7 – Information Gathering<strong>

Three weeks had passed since the confrontation with the Dursleys and the ninjas had settled easily in Harry's life. Somehow, Jiraya had found a house a few blocks away from 4 Privet Drive that was available for renting. It was a two-storeyed house with a quite large back garden. The house itself was quite simple with kitchen and living room downstairs, and two bedroom and a bathroom upstairs. The garden was particularly practical as trees and high bushes blocked it from the neighbours' view. This was beneficial for the ninjas as it allowed them to train without the fear of being spied on. From now on, Harry was obviously rarely seen at the Dursleys'. Of course, he still had to spend some nights there, but, most of the time he spent his days with the ninjas. Because of that, Naruto had taken the bigger bedroom as Harry would usually sleep with him. Life was a bliss and the younger boy really enjoyed his life for the first time since he could remember.

However, despite all of this, he could not help but think about the magical community. Since the revelation, he had nourished the hope to learn more about others like him. He was of course grateful and happy to be with Naruto and Jiraya, but he wished to know more about his origins. He had asked the Sannin if he could tell him more, but the older man had been unable to give him much information. He had not asked any more, but he could not help himself and hope to know more. Naruto had obviously noticed it and had pestered his shishou for more intel. So that was why the Legendary Sannin was sitting in a tavern dressed in _robes_, trying to get any information (Well, it was a henge really, but still! _Robes_! Who in their right mind would wear such impractical clothes?). And really, he was not happy. It had been three days since he began his information gathering and he had found nothing. Well, the first day, he had simply observed these people so that he could easily blend in. Of course, he had been here before. Once. It was to meet his contact and at the time, he had not need really need to blend, as he had only spent two hours in the tavern to grab the basic information he needed to avoid detection. But now, he had to mingle with the crowd. Talk to them. Really, he was beginning to question his sanity when he had accepted to be involved in a wizard's life.

Looking around the room, he tried to spot someone who would be willing to talk. His eyes briefly met the barkeeper and he quickly averted his eyes. He remembered very well what had happened the day before and he was not willing to have a repeat. He had first entered disguised as a young wizard in his twenties. He had hoped to find young women and make them talk. He had had to wait a few hours before a beautiful blond woman entered the pub. She was probably in her forties he had guessed. She was distinguished and had a superior air. He had smirked. This was the kind of woman who would certainly succumb to the flattery of a younger man. So he had approached her and had started flirting with her. She had looked at him as if he was an insignificant cockroach. But he had persisted. He was after all an expert in women! However, his charms did not work well this time, as he had quickly managed to irritate the beauty. And to add to his luck, she was soon joined by her husband. An arrogant looking blond man who had the gall to insult him. Obviously, being who he was, Jiraya could not let it pass and would have responded if the barkeeper, Tom, had not intervened, threatening to kick him out. After all, this was the distinguished Lady Malfoy that he had insulted and this was not tolerated in his fine establishment! The Sannin had then argued that he had only praised her beauty. However, he had not been able to say more as he had found himself the target of the man's wand. It was only thanks to his reflexes that he had managed to avoid some of them, but eventually was touched by one their curses and ended it up with his face covered with pus. He had taken him a while to find someone kind enough to get rid of it. Really, he did not want a repetition of it.

So today, he was under a different henge. He was now a blond green-eyed man in his thirties and was currently sitting at a table in the middle of the room and enjoying a glass of firewhiskey. These wizards did not know nothing about fashion but at least they could make decent alcohol. He was keeping an ear on the conversation surrounding him, but really he could not understand a thing. He was really ready to call it a day when a young woman entered the room from the back door. She was blond and was wearing a pink robe and carrying loads of bags. She was quite pretty and well, if he could not find anything about Harry today, he could still have some pleasure. By a strike of luck, he noticed from the corner of his eyes that the girl was nearing his table on her way to the chimney. As she was coming at his level, he stood up in guise of leaving and accidentally bumped onto her, making her drop most of her bags.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you coming!" he exclaimed with a horrified expression, "Oh! I'm so clumsy sometimes, I'm really sorry. Please, let me help you!" The girl was slightly scowling and was apparently quite displeased by this incident. The bags quickly gathered, he helped her to her feet, finally met her gaze and gasped. The young woman slightly blushed at his stare. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm staring. I know, that's not really polite, but how could I not stare at such a pretty face?" the young woman's blush deepened and she giggled before answering.

"Oh, you've been apologising a lot, so I think it could excuse any impolite behaviour."

"Oh but apologising is certainly not enough! Would you, perhaps, accept to join me for a drink?" he asked a charming smile gracing his face. She seemed to hesitate for a moment but the pleaded eyes Jiraya gave her encouraged her to accept and he helped her to a seat. "I'm Davis Jones."

"Alixia Pimble."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss Pimble."

Soon, both were happily chatting and openly flirting. Alixia, he soon realized, was a really simple witch who was only interesting in clothes and shoes. She actually worked in clothes shop in Diagon Alley.

"You have beautiful eyes," she said after a while, "They're green. Green like our saviour's."

"Saviour?"

"Of course, our saviour! Every one knows Harry Potter's eyes are green!" Jiraya's widened a few seconds. He could not believe it! When he was not looking for it, he stumbled on someone who could possibly tell him more about Harry!

"His eyes are green? I don't remember."

"Oh you silly, how could you not remember?" she said while giggling. "that and his scar."

"Of course, his scar, I know. Although, I still wonder how this really had to come."

"I know, every one wonder how he survived the killing curse. And not any curse, but You-know-who's curse!" she whispered furiously.

"Who?" he asked confused.

"Oh dear, you know we can't say his name."

"Of course, of course." Fortunately for him, she was a bit tipsy to find it strange that he asked the question to begin with. "But really, this is all strange," he continued vaguely.

"Yes, strange, but a tragedy nonetheless. Poor little soul," she sighed sadly, "This horrible night, he lost his parents. Killed by the evil You-know-who! And the monster even tried to kill him. A baby! How horrible can someone be!"

"Yes, but this is You-know-who?" he replied awkwardly.

"You're right, of course! But well, if it was not for our Harry Potter, You-know-who would still be alive. So we can only bless the boy!"

"Yes, bless him! Although I wonder how he's doing without his parents and all."

"Oh, this is something that ticked me as well, but since I learnt that Dumbledore took care of placing him in a safe house, I'm not worried any more. After all, Dumbledore knows what he's doing, because well, he is Dumbledore!" The conversation lingered a little bit more on Harry, but soon the two resumed their flirting. However, Jiraya was mulling over what he had just learnt. If he had to believe Alixia, Harry was a prominent figure for the Wizarding Community and this complicated things. They were really in a deep mess.

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It was early morning in Little Whinging and the neighbourhood was peaceful. Only birds could be heard and this suited Naruto and Harry. The two boys were currently in the the ninja's back garden practising their katas. Two weeks ago, while witnessing Naruto's training, Harry had asked if he could be taught how to fight. The genin had been quite reluctant at first. He did not want his younger friend to come in contact with violence. For him, Harry was as pure as his light orb and he did not want to taint that. However, the raven haired boy had been quite stubborn and had pointed out that Naruto could not always been with him especially at the Dursleys'. He had been supported by Jiraya who had argued that if Harry was to ever come with them, he would have to learn to defend himself, especially as Naruto's life was quite a risk. Eventually, he had relented and Harry had begun his training.

The young boy had been ecstatic at the idea of flying from roofs to roofs like Naruto. However, his excitement was cut short as after the first day of training, Jiraya had took a good look at him and gauged his chakra reserve. They had then realised that his chakra was very low and would not allow him to use any ninjutsu. Harry had obviously been disappointed, but Naruto had assured him that he could still learn hand-to-hand combat. The Toad Sannin had then added that with adequate training, his chakra reserve would eventually allow him to tree climbing and water walking. He had not understood what it was, until demonstrated and had become more determined than ever to achieve that at least.

The movement of the katas were quite straining for Harry and he had still difficulties to follow the pattern. Of course, he had improved a bit since he started learning, but it was a slow improvement. Fortunately, Naruto encouraged him and helped him, so he did not give up. The older boy was really a sight to see, and Harry could only look in envy as his friend practised his movements. The gestures were fluid and precise. He could see the tense muscles supporting each effort. The blond boy was frowning with concentration. His gesture was slow, but this was only for Harry's benefit. From previous session, the raven haired boy had witnessed the increasing speed in Naruto's movement during his katas training. It had looked so easy and natural, that it had appeared that the young ninja was dancing. It was really a beautiful sight and Harry wished to be able to do that one day. So he had to train and he concentrated even more on what he was doing.

Eventually, the boys finished their katas with an unsatisfied Harry. He had the impression that he was not making any progress at all.

"Do not be so frustrated. Katas are not easy to handle at first. Every student at the Academy have difficulties with them. With practise, you'll manage."

"D'you really believe that?"

"Of course, I do! You put a lot of effort in your training, so you can only succeed!" Harry smiled at the reassurance and felt a bit more confident. "Well, now that this is done, on with our push-ups and sit-ups!" Harry groaned. This really was something he did not like about training. Naruto chuckled quietly. "You asked for it, remember?"

"I know, I know. But I don't have to like it."

"Well, those exercises are important to build your strength and stamina. So on with it!" Without another word the two boys began their effort. Thirty minutes later, Harry was dead. Naruto had decided to increase the number of push-ups and sit-ups, arguing that he could do more now. He had indeed managed to do more, but now he was exhausted. He had about one hour before he had to go to school, so he could relax a bit.

Soon, Harry was on his way to school, while Naruto remained behind and resumed his training, which was a bit more intense. He did not have to accompany the younger boy to school now. They had decided that is was not necessary any more, now that Duddley was preoccupied with his piggy problem. Rapidly, Naruto became lost in his training. He was focusing on his rasengan. Sure he could produce one, but he had not entirely mastered it. He still took too much time to form it and because of that, the enemy could easily prepare against it, if he did not have a way to divert their attention. However, his focus was not that stable. His mind was not really on his task. Ero-sennin was gone for almost a week now and he hoped that his pervert shishou would come back soon and with information. He needed to know more and Harry was definitely hoping to find out more about what he was. Naruto had also decided to do some research on his own. Well, he was not really the one doing the research but he had instigated it. He had sent the letter a few days ago and it should be received soon. He just had to wait now, and really it was not his forte. Better get back to training than dwelling on that.

When Harry came back home that afternoon, he found Naruto in the living room's floor with scrolls spread around him. As he approached, he noticed that there were strange patterns on the paper.

"What is that?" he asked intrigued.

"Hum... oh, these are seals..."

"Seals?"

"Yes, seals. They are used for many different purposes. For example, if you draw the right seals, you can make storage scrolls." Harry lightened in recognition.

"Oh! This is because of seals that you can make things disappear in scrolls? I thought it was magic!" Naruto chuckled lightly at that.

"No, it has nothing to do with magic but seals. Remember, we can't do magic."

"Oh, yeah right... so you're making storage scrolls?"

"No, not exactly. I'm actually learning to make my own seals. I began to study it about one year ago, and I'm hoping to become a Master Seal."

"Why d'you need to make your own seals?"

"Well... you see... seals are used for different things other than storage. You can design explosive tags for example. If you're good enough, you can put seals on people that can hinder or increase their abilities."

"I see..." He could not ask more about it though, as Jiraya entered the house after a few days of absence.

"Ah gakis, I hope you behaved while I was gone!"

"Ero-sennin!"

"Uh, of course, we behave! We are not the one peeping on women, old man!"

"That's because you're not gifted enough to master the art!" he replied with a false condescending manner.

"Yeah right... so did you find anything?" Naruto asked more seriously. At this, Harry sit down next to his friend, his hopeful eyes solely on the older ninja. He really hoped that this time he could learn more. The Sannin sighed heavily and settled on the opposite sofa. How would he be able to tell Harry of his past? There was really not any good way to announce it, so he better did it as best as he could.

"I indeed discovered some things. It was not easy at first, but once I had an idea of what to look for, that was very easy." He turned his gaze to the younger boy. "Harry, what I'm about to tell you will probably be difficult to hear, but necessary." At this point, the green-eyed boy had a sense of dread at what was coming. What could be so horrible about him? Were his parents really good for nothing people? "Ten years ago, almost eleven now, there was a war raging in Wizarding Britain. From what I could gather, it was a horrible war. Their population was terrorised by a dark wizard. They were so terrified by him that they still can't say his name. They call him You-know-who." At this, Naruto raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Yes, I know. Don't comment Naruto. Anyway, your parents fought against him and people think that's probably why they were targeted." He paused, not really sure how to announce it. "He came to your house one night. He killed your parents and tried to kill you as well. But somehow, you survived and he was vanquished." He decided to remain silent to let the young boy digest such a terrible information.

His parents were killed. Murdered by an evil man. Yes, evil. Only someone evil could kill people. Comforting arms surrounded him while a gentle hand brushed the tears on his face. He had not realised he was crying.

"So... he's dead?" he croaked.

"Well, some people say he is, others think he's not. That's not really clear." Harry just nodded.

"And I... I did it?"

"Yes, when you were one."

"How?"

"This is a mystery." How could he have survived while he was a baby, while his parents were killed? "Because of that, you are quite famous in the Wizarding World, Harry."

"Really?" Jiraya only nodded. "Then, why did they leave me away from them?"

"Well, a man, Dumbledore, placed you in your aunt's care. From what I gathered he is an important and powerful wizard. They trusted him to place you in a safe place."

"But this man never came to see Harry! How could he be sure it was safe?" Naruto interjected.

"I don't know, gaki."

They were silent for a while. Jiraya observing closely the two boys' reaction. Naruto was deep in thought and seemed quite worried. He kept shooting Harry concerned glances and tightening his grip on the younger boy. Harry seemed to be in shock. Not that this was surprising after being told your parents were murdered and that you were famous.

"Ero-sennin. They don't expect Harry back, right?" This was the question he dreaded the most.

"Actually they do." The magical boy jerked his head back towards Jiraya, questions in his eyes. "They expect you to go to a school of theirs."

"A school?"

"Yes, a magical school. From what I gathered, it is directed by this Dumbledore wizard." A magical school. A school where he could learn to control his magic. He could then be part of this world. But did he want to? One part of him was curious of this world. A world he was part of. But another part did not want to leave Naruto. What should he do? "Listen gaki, you don't have to think about this school now. You still have time. You'll receive your letter this year, probably before summer, so we'll have time to discuss about it and see if you want to go." Harry nodded.

Naruto had kept quiet during the explanation about the school. He did not know what to think about it yet. He would have to learn more. In the meantime, he hoped he would receive an answer to his letter soon enough.

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The streets were silent. Only the sound of the wind swirling between each building was disturbing the quietness of the village. It was late. Near midnight and the majority of the inhabitants were asleep. Only the guards on duty were awake. The village had an eerie quality as it seemed to glower under the moonlight. The ground was sparkling with every dust of sand. It was so peaceful and almost unreal that a stranger could have easily mistaken it for a village from a fairy tale. From his perch on top of the Kazekage building, Gaara could only chuckle to himself. The idea was ludicrous and many would probably die from a heart attack if they discovered their bloodthirsty jinchuriki had such thoughts. But again, they did not know him. Not yet. His aquamarine eyes scanned over the village with a longing and a promise to belong. One day, he would be accepted and he would make this place a home.

His mind went back to a few months ago when the Leaf jinchuriki had come to visit. At first, he had been awkward, not knowing how to behave. But slowly he had been comfortable in the presence of the other boy and had confided in him. They had shared their experiences, their histories that were unique to their status. Eventually, Naruto and his shishou had spent one month in Suna, much to the Sannin irritation. But the blond genin had wanted to stay a bit longer and Gaara had felt grateful for that. The two boys had needed this time spent together and slowly a brotherly bond had formed between them. During his stay, Suna had been informed of the new threat that was the Akatsuki and a non-spoken understanding had been made between the two genins. They would not let the other down and any relevant information would be shared. Upon leaving, Naruto had told him that he was to spend the next three years in some faraway place, but he had promised to write. It had been a while now and the only message he had received had been quite short and not really informative but had promised to give more explanation in a future letter.

It was nearly dawn now and the village was beginning to stir. He must have been deep in thought to have lost track of time. He stood up, brushed up the sand off his clothes and slowly made his way back to his house. As he was nearing it, he heard soft panting.

"_Gaara-chan..."_ It was a toad and the boy's face lightened with recognition and was not even bothered by the normally infuriating "-chan."

"_Gamaline. I assumed you have a message for me."_

"_Yes..."_ but the poor toad could not say more. Taking pity for the little thing, Gaara retrieved the letter and scooped the toad in his hand and resumed his walk to his house.

"_I'll get you some water and sweets. You must have come from a long way to be that exhausted."_

"_You have no idea..."_ When entering his house, they went directly to his room. Then, Gaara grabbed a small basin which he filled with water before placing Gamaline in it and giving her some sweets he had stored for her. The small toad could only sigh in appreciation. All this taken care of, he sat in his bed and unfolded the letter.

_**[ Dear Gaara,**_

_** It's been a while since my last letter and I'm sorry I didn't write earlier, but since we arrived in this place I told you about, it has been really crazy. Anyway, I hope you are fine and that the village had not been too hard with you. How is it with Temari and Kankuro? They don't drive you mad, I hope. If they do, especially Kankuro, you can still mess up with his dolls.**_

_** As for me, as I said, things here are a bit crazy and I probably shouldn't tell you anything about it, but seeing as you'll be Kazekage one day, it doesn't matter. Well, first, I swear all I'm going to tell you is true and you can't tell anyone about this. **_

_** The place I am in is called the Outside World, or at least this is what we call it. It is a place made of several countries which exist outside of our boundaries. Actually, the Elemental Countries are hidden from the rest of this world. Ero-sennin told me it is due to a powerful genjutsu. He thought he would be the safest place for me as the Akatsuki probably doesn't know about it.**_

_** Anyway, we're in a country called Britain (It's a really cold and weird place). Here I met a boy. Harry. I don't know why or how but the first time we met, I don't know, we sort of connected with each other. I could sense his distress. It was well-hidden, but it was there. It felt like he was like me, that he understood me and well, we became friend. I visited him a few days later and I discovered that his family was mistreated him. He was starved, beaten. I couldn't leave him alone, you understand. So I decided to help him. And this is where things got to be crazy. **_

_** You see, Harry is special. He can do incredible things. Ero-sennin calls it Magic. Yes, magic, and no, I'm not kidding. I've seen it with my eyes. He transformed a lamp into a flower! And this is how I discovered that there was a hidden community in the Outside World as well. Magical people! Wizards and Witches! Apparently, Ero-sennin knew all along but didn't want to tell me anything. We're not supposed to know anything about it, you see. He said that only the Kages knew of it and a few wizards knew as well. A very small group. The thing is we're not supposed to interact with wizards, I don't know why. He mentioned rules but that's it. The thing is I can't leave Harry! I can't give up what I have with him, but I don't know anything about this mess!**_

_** This might sound desperate, but I need your help. Ero-sennin doesn't know much and I doubt we'll find much information here without drawing attention to us. But I thought perhaps you could come across some information. I mean, you're the former Kazekage's son, so perhaps there's a chance to find something on your side. I know, this is probably too much to ask, but I can't give up on him and I need to know more for that. So please, would you help me?**_

_**Your Brother,**_

_**Naruto ]**_

Gaara had to read the letter twice to make sure it was not a joke. Then he blinked and stared at it. _Magic_. _Hidden communities._ This could not be true. How could an entire world exist without their knowledge? And for that matter, how could they be hidden? Could a genjutsu really do that? It would have been a powerful one if it could stand throughout time. He read one more time Naruto's letter. The blond seemed quite truthful if he could judge by the desperate tone of his words. So all of this could be possible? How intriguing. He wondered how such a fact could have been kept without leaking somehow. It must be a very well-kept secret and probably dangerous one if the Kages did not do anything to take advantage of it. This must also mean that he would probably have difficulties to access any information about it. He would have to be discreet and cunning about it. And he would have to do it alone if no one was to know. This would be tricky. He sighed. Sometimes he wondered how Naruto had survived all these years seeing how a trouble magnet he was. Oh well, it could be interesting and it seemed important to his brother. So he would do his best to help him.

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><p><strong>So yeah, Gaara. I admit he is one of my favourite characters, (even more recently with his role in the war^^) and I wanted to give hime some light. Well, he won't be that much present at first, but he will play a prominent role as time goes by.<strong>


	9. Facing Reality

**AN : New chapter and quite a different handling and a focus on Harry's feelings and reactions to what he learns. I hope it is not too weird, especially the first part. Well, you'll tell me anyway.**

**Thanks again to the few of you who reviewed the last chapter. To answer _mabidiso_, you're right, there is more to the relationship between Harry and Naruto than a similar history. I will let you to your speculations for now though, because it is interesting to see the ideas you can come up with^^. As for Jiraya and his lack of commitment as you put it, don't worry he will be involved. I just wanted to mainly focus on Harry and his reactions first. The idea was that Jiraya wanted to approach him with these information with as much tact as he could, as you will see in the following chapter.^^**

**Now that's all said, on with the story.**

**Disclaimer**** : I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8 – Facing Reality<strong>

_March_

One month had passed since Harry was told of his past. After the revelations, he had kept silent the following day, thus worrying his companions. But how else could he react? His parents were dead. Murdered. Intentionally killed by an evil wizard while he, Harry, had survived. Why did he survive? He was not that special, if there were others like him. And he was a baby when it happened. A baby is defenceless, right? So he couldn't possibly have survived and less alone vanquished an adult _evil_ wizard. But he did. Eventually, he decided to ask Jiraya if he had not learnt anything else. Fortunately, the man did but had only waited for Harry to digest the main information first. And that was how he discovered that the Wizarding World was literally worshipping his existence and blessing him for getting rid of You-know-who. He also learnt that no one else but him had ever survived the killing curse. So did that mean he was an anomaly among his kind? How would they treat him when he appeared again? _If he did_. What did they expect of him? Jiraya had volunteered to find more information about all of this. His story, his parents, his status, the school... _Should he?_

_April_

With Naruto prompting and reassurances, Harry eventually agreed to learn more about his kins and his status among them. Seeing as he had had quite a strong reaction before, the Toad Sannin decided that it would be wiser to give the boy information one at the time. So after a brief visit to the Wizarding Community, Jiraya came back with a simple book explaining the way the magical society worked. He spent most of his evenings reading it and then talking about it with Naruto and Jiraya. This ended to be a really fascinating and informative reading. The magical world had its own organisation. There was a ministry that made sure that non-magical people or muggles, as he learnt, were kept unaware of the Wizarding Community. There were laws as well that the ministry was to enforce. There were also an hospital, a prison, schools and market places. There were also spells for everything and anything. The more he read the more enchanted he became. This was an incredible world and he could be part of it. He was becoming excited at this prospect. _But what of Naruto?_ In response, only a smile and an encouraging nod.

_May_

Books were violently thrown against the wall before ending up on the floor. He sat as far away from them as he could, trembling. He brought his knees to his chest and took deep long calming breaths. Where did all this come from? _He_ did not even know how he did it, so how could _they_? If only they were saying the same thing or if it was plausible, but this was only nonsense! And his portrait. Good. Brave. Loyal. Trustworthy. Courageous. Virtuous. A Saviour. A Heroe. Who was this person? Not him for sure. He was just Harry. A ten year old boy with a funny scar, black hair, who loved reading and whose best friend was a ninja. Did they expect him to be this other one? To be a perfect Harry Potter? His heart was becoming heavy with this foreboding burden. How could he face these people while being just Harry?

Gentle hands brought him in a comforting embrace.

"They will watch me and judge me. I'm not like what they say I am. I..."

"Then, you'll just have to be yourself."

"But..."

"No. They don't know you, so you will have to show them who you are. Do not try and be what they want you to be. You are perfect as you are, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Plus, Ero-sennin and I will be there to help you face it."

Could he do that? Just being himself? Still, their eyes would always be there, filled with their expectations and hopes. Could he face it? _Will he face it?_

_June_

His fears were somehow alleviated thanks to Naruto constantly comforting him. Feeling apprehensive, if not scared, was comprehensible. He could not completely forget it but he could not let it dictate his decisions and his behaviour when he would be there. It was difficult at first and more than once he was reluctant to face the Wizarding Community, especially when he learnt that Hogwarth was a boarding school and that he would be separated from his friend. It had also been difficult for Naruto to accept that, although he managed to hide it. It was Jiraya who eventually reminded them that Harry was expected to go there. Moreover, there he could learn to control his magic. Something the Sannin could not teach him and this was something the magical boy needed to learn if he was to protect himself. So he read _Hogwarth: A History_. He learnt how the school worked, its history, the courses he will have. The school seemed to be a wonder in the Wizarding World and he found himself curious about it._ Perhaps Hogwarts would be fine. Just Hogwarts..._

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Rising lights filtered through the drawn curtains. It was still early and the room was still basked in darkened light. Furniture was visible even in the shadows. He had been awaken for a few minutes now. Checking up the clock, he read 5.30. Early. He had fidgeted a lot last night before eventually falling asleep. And it had not been a restful sleep, despite his friend's presence. And now he was awake far too early. Of course, he could say that this was because he was used by now to wake up early with his morning training. But this would only be an excuse. No, today was a special day. 31th of July. He was eleven today. Eleven and it meant Hogwarts. Eleven and it meant facing his kins. He sighed heavily. He had received his letter a few days before, just as Jiraya had told him. He had stared at it for a while before opening it. This piece of paper had made all the things he had learnt in the past months real. He had not answered immediately, but took his time to speak to Naruto first. The two boys had been silent for a long time, before Harry eventually wrote and sent his answer back. The younger boy's fears and doubts were still present, but he eventually understood that he had to attend this school. It could benefit him and once he finished his schooling, he would join Naruto and live with him in the Elemental Countries. And for that, he had to be strong.

"It's too early for thinking," a voice next to him said drawing him back to the present time.

"Sorry about that. I think I'm a bit nervous," he admitted.

"I'll be there, remember? So go back to sleep, we still have a few hours before this person arrives."

"Easier said than done," he muttered.

"Now Harry, relax, will you. Everything will be fine. If you want, we'll make you as inconspicuous as possible. And no matter what happens I'll protect you," Naruto assured drawing the younger boy closer to him. Harry instinctively snuggled letting the other boy's words reassured him and lulled him into a light slumber.

Two hours later, the boys woke up again and this time prepared for the day. They were at the Dursleys, as this was where the person from Hogwarts would come and pick up Harry. They had not want to draw attention on the fact that he spent most of his time in another house. Fortunately, Harry's family were not early risers, so they could enjoy a calm breakfast and make use of the bathroom without the Dursleys hovering behind their backs. One hour later, the two friends found themselves in the sitting room waiting for this person to arrive, while the Dursleys were having breakfast in the kitchen. As promised, Naruto had helped Harry in neutral clothes. The raven haired boy was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a simple green T-shirt. He also had a black cap that would hide his scar. As for the genin, he was wearing black pants and an orange T-shirt, obviously.

At 8 o'clock precisely, the bell rang. Exchanging a glance with his friend, Harry stiffly stood up and made his way to the door. Upon opening the door, the young boy was met with an incredible sight. In front of him probably stood the hugest person in the whole world. Forgetting his nerves, he could only gape and spluttered the first logical thing that came to his mind.

"You were tricked by the Queen of Hearts and drank too much Growth potion! You should have asked Caterpillar for the antidote! Now she'll easily find you and Off with your Head!" he exclaimed horrified. The man looked quite confused by this statement and responded the only way he could.

"Huh?"

"Harry? Is that the person from the school of yours?" Naruto's voice came from behind.

"Yeah! But that's not the most important," he turned frantically towards the blond.

"What could be more impor..tant..." Naruto trailed off when meeting the sight of this very huge man.

"You noticed it too, Naru!"

"How could have I not notice? He's huge!" Naruto replied and turned towards the older wizard, "How did you become that huge?"

"That's obvious, Naru!" Harry exclaimed not letting the man the possibility to answer, "This is the Queen of Hearts' doing."

"The Queen of Hearts?" the ninja asked.

"Narutooo!" Harry desperately whined, "The Queen of Hearts, you know, Alice? I read you the story already." Recognition slowly dawned on Naruto quickly followed by a horrified expression.

"No," he whispered dreadfully, "his head..."

"I know, this is terrible. Poor him," he said and the two boys could only look at the man with pity and fear. As for the wizard, he had no idea of what was going on and was soon feeling awkward faced to the two boys' intent gaze, but this was Harry. He was seeing Little Harry again and he was so happy about it.

"Arry! How big ye are now! Ye were only a baby when I last saw ye!" he exclaimed thus ended the strange moment. The green-eyed boy blinked a few times, refocusing on the matter at hand and remembering why this person was there.

"Right," he said, "You are from Hogwarth."

"Yeah! I'm Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts!" the giant man answered proudly, "and I'm here ter take ye ter Diagon Alley ter buy yer school things!"

"Yes, that's right."

When he had sent his letter saying that he would attend Hogwarts, he had then received an answer informing him that a member of staff would come and take him to buy his things. After discussing with Jiraya and Naruto, they had decided that it would be wise to accept and probably pretend that he did not know much about the Wizarding World. After all, he had been kept away from it for the past ten years. How would he have been able to know anything about it?

"Well, I'm Harry," he continued after a while, "and this is Naruto, my best friend."

"Nice ter meet you, Naruto! Now, are ye ready to go?" Hagrid asked, turning his full attention on Harry.

"Yes, we are."

"We?"

"Yes, Naruto and me."

"I'm sorry but yer friend can't come. He's a muggle."

"But he's my friend! And he knows already and hasn't said a word to anyone else! Please, let him come! I need him to come!" Harry asked pleadingly. He did not want to go there for the first time without Naruto.

"I don't..."

"Please, please!" Harry cried with tears threatening to spill. Faced with such a desperate expression, Hagrid could only nod.

"Fine, fine."

"Thank you!" Harry exclaimed relieved.

"Now let's go!" And with that they left Privet Drive.

During their way to London, Hagrid eventually enquired about the Queen of Hearts and soon became horrified by what he was told. However, he was confident that Professor Dumbledore would not let him down, and said so to the younger boys, who seemed to accept this quite easily. It took them nearly an hour to reach London and they promptly made their way towards Charing Cross. As they came closer to enter the magical world, Harry was feeling more anxious and was barely keeping his countenance if not for Naruto's presence. They eventually accessed the Leaky Cauldron. The boys knew of it thanks to Jiraya's reports and the inn was exactly like the Sannin had described it. Dark and out of time, at least from their perspectives. There were quite a number of people and they would have gone unnoticed if not for Hagrid.

"Harry?" a witch exclaimed, "like in Harry Potter?" the raven-haired boy had hoped that the giant man would deny but was quickly mistaken.

"Yep! The same an' only 'Arry Potter!" Hagrid declared, beaming proudly. At once, all the wizards and witches present moved towards the trio in hope to get a better look at their Saviour and thank him. Harry was petrified and could only watch in horror as the wave of smiling people was approaching him. Some were battling to shake his hands and the young boy paled not knowing what to do. This was too overwhelming. Sensing his friend's distress, Naruto promptly stepped in, placing himself between the crowd and the smaller boy.

"Enough!" he yelled while subtly leaking small waves of Killing Intent, as to make the fanatical group pause. After all, it would not do to scare them. "Please," he continued in a quieter voice, "My friend is not used to all of this. If you could give him some space, that would be nice." Clearly unhappy to be denied their Saviour, some were ready to argue, if Hagrid had not intervened.

"Yeah, plus he has to buy his school supplies and we don't have all day!" Reluctantly but understanding, the crowd dispersed and the Trio headed to the back door. Once there, Harry could breathe again and regained some of his colours. Naruto turned to him concerned.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he replied a bit shakily, "Thanks." Naruto nodded and brought Harry in a quick but supporting hug before turning to Hagrid. "What were you thinking by announcing his presence like that!" he shouted, "Harry is already nervous as it is, he did not need that!" The huge wizard slightly put out by such accusation and feeling ashamed when noticed Harry's state apologised profusely before opening the passage to Diagon Alley.

The rest of the trip was better. After Harry managed to calm down, he ended up enjoying his first time in the Wizarding World. The Alley was a wonderful sight and he had the impression to be in a fairy tale. Everything he saw was an amazement and satisfied his curiosity. There was also this feeling in the air, a sort of tingling that brushed at his senses and made him extremely aware of this environment. Never before had he encountered anything like this. It was as if the Alley was singing. When he pointed this out to Naruto, the blond told him that he did not feel anything different, that it was probably something only magical people could sense. So Harry did his best to describe it to his friend. He wanted him to understand it too and to experience it in some way. The young wizard had a particular difficulty to describe this feeling when they entered Gringott. For him, it was similar to the outside but also different in some way that he could not point, as if he did not entirely understand it. Despite his inability to describe much of it, Naruto still enjoyed the bank and especially the roller coaster, which was probably the most thrilling and exhilarating experience he had had so far since he arrived in the Outside World.

The rest of the shopping trip went quite similarly. It was really an incredible experience so far and Naruto was reassured when seeing Harry's happiness. It seemed that the younger boy would fit in and would be able to put his fears aside. He just hoped that in the end, the wizard-in-being would still come with him in the Elemental Countries. Of course, if he decided otherwise, the genin would not force him, but it would definitely be painful. But this was something to dwell on later, for now, he had to support his friend the best he could. Their shopping was almost done by now and all that was left was the buying of a wand. Soon enough, they entered the wand-maker shop, Ollivanders'. This shop was different from the others they had been to. This one was darker and eerily quiet. It was as if they had entered a church or a temple, and to be honest, Naruto found it a bit creepy. Glancing at his friend, he noticed that Harry had become quiet and seemed unsettled by the shop. Placing a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder, he squeezed slightly and gave his friend a reassuring smile.

Taking a deep breath after his friend's support, Harry hesitantly stepped closer to the counter, peeking behind it.

"Um... Hello?" he asked weakly.

"Mister Potter," a voice suddenly rang, making the boys slightly jumped, "I've been waiting for you," the voice continued revealing an old man with piercing blue eyes. Harry could only gulp as these eyes seemed to assess him and enter his very soul, before his eyes settled on his scar. "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly, making Harry stiffen at the statement. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Phoenix feather. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do… Although, I've always wondered how someone destined to hold a weapon gifted by a phoenix could have turned into such a terrible person..."

Not dwelling upon it any further, the man then proceeded to recall his parents' wands, before handing him the first wand for him to try, which ended blowing up a nearby window. After that a succession of wands was put in his hand, each of them failing to match him. Eventually, Ollivanders paused for a moment, taking a thoughtful stance, before slowly making his way between his ever lasting shelves and picking up a box. Retrieving the wand inside of it, he carefully handed it to Harry. This resulted in sparkling gold and red escaping from the tip of the wand and enveloping the young boy in warmth. Smiling he knew that this was his wand and shared his joy with Naruto. However, the wand-maker had to comment.

"How curious."

"Sorry, but what's curious, sir?"

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave you that scar."

At this statement, Harry dropped the wand, simply blanked out and remained still. _The brother wand of the evil wizard. Of Voldemort._ No! He did not want it! He did not want to be connected to this murderer. Why did he have to have _this_ wand? Did that mean he too would become evil? He was furiously shaking by now and was slowly edging away from the wand.

"Harry! Calm down!" Naruto's frantic voice was yelling at him.

"Mister Potter," Ollivanders' voice rang out, "Do not reject what is yours to wield. Do not fear what is not to be feared. Magic has her reasons and going against her can only lead to terrible consequences." _What?_ But this wand was similar to _his_. How could he be expected to own it? He did not want to. _Why? _How could he be related to his parents' murderer like that? Was the scar not enough?

Grief, fear and anger swirled violently in his core making his magic unstable. Soon the fragile shelves in the shop were shaking, dropping many boxes. Harry was slowly losing control. This was certainly too much to handle. And really, Naruto could not blame him. After all, how else could he react when such violent facts were thrown one after the other to his face? However, he could not be left like that. If he continued to lash out his magic, it could be dangerous and unhealthy for the green-eyed boy. Acting quickly, the ninja moved behind his friend and apply pressure at a point where neck and shoulder met, effectively knocking out Harry. Carefully supporting the now unconscious boy, Naruto could only gaze down sadly at his precious friend's troubled face. _Oh, Harry..._

"You did us a good thing by calming Mr Potter," Ollivander said after a while. "It seems you are a close friend to him, so I will tell you this. The young Potter can't escape his fate. This wand chose him for a reason and he would do well to understand that this had to be. Support him with all your heart as he will do to you, Wielder of the Ancient East, as only your strengths combined can help you towards what lays ahead." Naruto turned confused and worried eyes towards the old man. Somehow, his words rang heavily in the boy's mind. However, he could not ask anything as the man was already retreating to his shelves. Taking this as his cue to leave, he left some gold for the wand, just as Hagrid was arriving. The giant man enquired about Harry's state, worried for the boy, but Naruto only told him that he was exhausted. So while the ninja had Harry securely in his arms, Hagrid took most of the young wizard's purchases, and they made their way back to Little Whinging. All the way back, the blonde kept silent, pondering on what happened during this first trip.


	10. Resolve

**AN**** : First thing first, to answer _Mabidiso_. I didn't intend to picture Harry as a drama queen really. Perhaps I went a bit overboard with his reactions.^^' But I wanted to give him some sort of strong reactions to what he learns. Perhaps I made it a bit too strong. Anyway, you're right when you say that Harry is unfit to live in the Elemental Countries and to deal with any sort of difficulties as he is now. And this is precisely why he had to go to Hogwarts and face the Wizarding World alone and eventually grow up. (This answer your question _Dark Neko 4000_). And don't worry, I intend to make them equals in the end^^. As for the question of masks and his dealings with the Dursleys, I actually wanted to have a Harry who prefers to hide himself in another world, in an imaginary world, rather than facing reality. This is why he can come up with fantasy theories to explain things**. **He litteraly has his own world. This is also why the previous chapter is called "Facing Reality." Despite himself, he has a responsibility towards the magical world. He has to face it and obviously he doesn't really know how to handle it. As for Naruto, I didn't describe his reactions faced with magic, because I intend to bring it up later. The last chapter was meant to focus solely on Harry. **

**Anyway, some of your other points are actually handled in the following chapter. And, I confess I have forgotten Hedwig in the last chapter. ^^' I had intented to introduce her at that time, but it had slipped my mind. But it is rectified in this chapter. **

**Now that all is said, I think, we can go back to the story^^**

**Notes**

**_[ Text ]_ : Letters and messages**

**Disclaimer : I don't own HP or Naruto**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9 - Resolve<strong>

_**[ Dear Brother,**_

_**I wasn't expecting another letter so soon after the one I received just a few days ago. I've never witnessed you to be so urgent or desperate before. What you told me about Harry is quite concerning, indeed. He can't be left in the state he is at the moment, as it could be dangerous for the both of you. But, you already know that.**_

_**I don't really understand feelings, not yet anyway. But I know that you can't let him break down this way. Remember that you will bring him back to Konoha. You know as well as me that our world is a harsh one that devours the weak. He HAS to toughen up. And before you say it, you won't always be able to protect him. You will have to leave him for missions. Don't forget that we are targets as well, and therefore his life will also be at stake. I think that being magical will help him in protecting himself, but he has to be strong mentally or he will die here.**_

_**I know that my words are harsh, but this is a reality that you have to keep in mind. I don't really understand the bond you have with him, but I know he is precious to you, and as such you must help him become stronger. As much as you want to, you can't shelter him. There are things that he has to face. And facing his world is one of them. **_

_**You can only give him the push to do it himself. So, Confront him. Confront him like you do to people who cross your path. Confront him and reach him as you only can. I have faith that you will succeed. I just hope this letter will reach you soon enough.**_

_**With all my concern,**_

_**Gaara. ]**_

It was the third time that he was reading the letter. Gaara was right, of course. He had been a fool, he realised it now. He had so much wanted to protect Harry, to protect the innocence he could always see in those emerald eyes that he had blinded himself. Being with him meant that Harry could not be weak. Gaara was right. Perhaps wanting to bring his friend with him was selfish. Too dangerous. Perhaps it would be better if he had not insisted in befriending him. Perhaps Harry would not be depressed then... Who was he trying to fool? Even if he had tried he would not have been able to stay away from the raven-haired boy. The moment they had met he had constantly had those sorrowful green eyes in the front of his mind. He could not have stayed away. Not that he understood how or why he felt that way, but he did. Plus, even without him, Harry would probably have to face the Wizarding World, eventually.

He sighed heavily and turned to look at the sleeping form beside him. Even in slumber, Harry seemed perturbed. His brow was furrowed and he kept fidgeting. If he did not better, Naruto would have thought he was not sleeping. After their first trip in Diagon Alley, Harry had kept quiet. He had not given a glance to his books and refused to touch his wand. After a week of this treatment, Naruto had sent a letter to Gaara and asked for advice. In the meanwhile, Jiraya had suggested that they went to a calm retreat in hope that Harry would open up if he was away and cut from the world. They had chosen to spend a few days in a forest in the North of Wales. It was a quiet place, bare of human life. His sensei had expressed the same concerns as Gaara, although he had been less direct than the Sand Jinchuriki. Jiraya had tried to talk to Harry, but it seemed the boy was set to ignore him. He had ignored Naruto too, despite the genin's attempts to speak to him. He did not understand this. They had always been able to reach each other before. Why was this different? _Confront him and reach him. _Gaara's words kept whispering in his mind. Yes he had to. He would not let Harry ignore him any longer. And if he had to be harsh, so be it!

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As the first rays of light were warming up his surroundings, Harry could not help but think that he felt strange in his duvet. It was as if he was sitting, but that was not possible. Deciding that his sleepy mind was very strange, he made to move only to realise that he could not. Was that a nightmare? Trying to move a little, he was surprised to feel ropes around him. Never before had he been able to feel anything during his sleep. Fidgeting again, he realised that he was sitting on a moist surface. How strange. And what was this warmth against his cheeks? He shivered. Was that the wind that he just felt? Slowly his mind seemed to realise that he probably was not sleeping. Testing his theory, he opened an eye then the other, only to be faced with blurry green surroundings. He was outside? So that meant he was still sleeping because he remembered falling alseep in the tent.

"Finally awake," an all too familiar voice stated, followed by hands putting his glasses on his nose. He looked up and gulped. Naruto was standing in front him, his arms crossed against his chest and wore a serious and determined expression. His eyes were shining with subtle concern and some kind of resolve that made Harry cringe slightly. "Now," Naruto began, "You've been moping for two weeks now and I can't have that! I understand that you are shocked and terrified, but that does not explain why you kept pushing me away!"

"I did not push you away," Harry responded.

"Don't deny it," Naruto almost shouted, "You've been avoiding me! You've refused to speak to any of us for two weeks now! I can't accept that! You can't solve your problems if you shut yourself at any difficulties! You have to face them!"

"That's easy for you to say!" Harry shot back. "You're not the one who has to face all this!"

"And what? Do you think you're the only one on this planet to face such burdens? There are other people out there who also have to face such responsibilities! But they do not back down and face them heads on!"

"I'm not the other people! I'm not as confident and assured as you!" he yelled, "I'm sorry," he murmured while bending his head down, almost shamefully, Naruto noticed. Considering the young boy at his feet, the blond boy crouched down and brought his face at the other's level.

"Harry, look at me." He waited patiently until the wizard boy slowly looked up. "Is that why you wouldn't talk to me? Because you were ashamed?" Harry just bit his lips nervously and slightly nodded avoiding his friend's intent gaze. "Harry... why..."

"I've been reading about it for months, but when facing it, I... I couldn't... I just could not... and the wand..."

"The Wizarding Community is expecting a lot from you and you _will_ face it either you want it or not." Harry's eyes widened in fear at this statement. "You can't run away from this. You will face every expectant faces, every judging eyes and you will survive. You will receive comments and you will take them, harsh and good alike. You will face this and you will become stronger."

"How can you be sure of that?" the young wizard asked weakly.

"Trust me." Green eyes met blue eyes, and all Harry could see was confidence and a strong belief in those words. How could he doubt those eyes?

"What about... what about the wand?" he whispered. Naruto considered him a moment before reaching for his pouch and retrieving a kunai.

"What do you see?"

"A kunai," Harry answered after giving his friend a questioning look.

"Yes, and what is a kunai? What is it for us, shinobi?"

"A weapon."

"Yes and a weapon is just a tool, Harry. From what we've read, a wand is just a tool, a tool that can be turned into a weapon indeed. But like any tool, it is the one who wield it that decides of its use. As a shinobi of Konoha, my kunai is to protect my village and its people. I use my weapons to protect those who are precious to me. A kunai does not decide if a shinobi is good or bad, just as a wand does not determine if a wizard is good or bad." This did make so much sense. How foolish had he been to overreact the way he did. But still...

"But, mine... mine... How can I wield one that is so similar to their murderer's? It would be as if I was betraying them..."

Of course, he was to react this way. How could he not? And Naruto understood very well, although he has to bear his parents' murderer. He pressed a hand on his stomach and looked sadly at his friend. Perhaps it was time to reveal this monstrosity. He had delayed it for too long now. There never had been a right moment before, but now, now, he could. Slowly he took off his shirt, gaining Harry's attention. He took a deep and anxious breath, before forming the ram hand seal and gathering chakra. Soon the signs on his stomach appeared.

"Naruto... what..."

"Harry, you've spent enough time with me to know what are those marks on my stomach." The young wizard took a closer look.

"It's a seal, right?" At Naruto's nod, he continued, "But, why do you have a seal on your stomach?"

"It's because, I contain something."

"Something? What do you mean you contain something?"

"I have a demon inside of me," Naruto whispered.

"A demon? What... what do you mean?"

"Twelve years ago, almost thirteen now, my village was attacked by a demon. A fox demon. Kyubi. This demon was very powerful and no man could kill it. The Fourth Hokage then made a decision. If the Kyubi could not be killed, then it will be sealed. And the Fourth did just that. He sealed the demon in a newborn... me. The same night I became a jinchuriki, I lost my parents to the demon. I don't who they were, but I was told they died during this attack..."

"Naruto... I..."

"Yes, I'm the bearer of my parents' murderer. It's painful to know that the very reason I'm an orphan resides inside of me." _Tainting me_. "Does it make me a bad person? I don't know, but I try. I try not to be a demon."

"Naruto! I'm so sorry, I..."

"Why are you apologising? There's no reason for that."

"Of course there is! I've been so selfish!" He felt horrible. How could he have forgotten that the world did not resolve around him. And Naru, his Naru, had such a heavy burden, heavier than his own. But he did not say anything. And he was so strong. _Selfish_. Absently he noticed that the ropes restricting him were being released and then he was gathered in a comforting hug. At this, he could only cry harder. It was always him. Him who needed to be comforted. Him! _Selfish_. Desperately he threw his arms around the other boy's neck, pressing his cheek against the other's.

"I'm so sorry, Naru," he whispered in the blond's ear. "I've been such a bad person. I relied on you and burdened you with my trivial fears, while you already had your own. But you don't have to worry any more. I will become strong, like you said. I promise."

Naruto just tightened his embrace, trying to bring Harry closer to him. He felt relieved. The young wizard was now in the good state of mind to face the Wizarding World. Of course, he was not so naïve to believe that the younger boy would remain firm in his resolve. After all, he was fragile and it would take time for him to be completely confident and strong. But it was a beginning. They would have to work hard from now on and hoped that Harry would be ready when the time would come to go back to the Elemental Countries.

"Naru," Harry asked after a while. "Why didn't you tell me about it before?"

"I..." How could he answer to that? "This is not something that I like to advertise."

"Didn't you trust me?"

"It's not that... I have a demon inside me, Harry. This fact should disgust you, scare you."

"But it doesn't! Did you think I would abandon you because of it?" Naruto only nodded. "I would never abandon you! Never!" The genin only smiled weakly at Harry's vehemence. The younger boy did not know what being a jinchuriki meant. He did not know that he was dangerous. Once again he questioned his decision to stay close to Harry. How could he put an innocent in danger? _Selfish_.

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Soon after their discussion, the two boys rejoined the camp to find Jiraya waiting for them. Upon seeing the older man, Harry apologised profusely for his past behaviour. But the Sannin brushed it off and just said that he was relieved that the young boy had come to term with what he learnt. They then had breakfast and for the first time, Harry turned his attention to the owl Hagrid had given him. He had not named her yet, seeing that he had not wanted anything to do with the Wizarding community until now. The approach was hesitant at first. He was afraid that he had somehow offended the bird. But slowly they became quite comfortable with each other and he was soon petting his bird. However, he did not know how to name her and decided to wait until he found an adequate name. The owl seemed perfectly fine with that.

After breakfast, the Sannin announced that since they were in such a remote place, they might as well train. The two boys agreed with that easily enough and eagerly began their morning routines. Once done, the older ninja led them to a meadow.

"I found this place two days ago when I was collecting mushrooms. I think it's perfect for training." Perfect it was indeed. The meadow was surrounding by alders, almost shielding it from view. The trees also gave the impression to be cut from the outside, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere. "Now, I want you Naruto to test Harry's reflexes in actual fighting."

"And what will you do while we're working?"

"Observing, of course!" the Sannin exclaimed. "After all, you need an outside pair of eyes to point out the good and bad things!"

"Yeah, right! Observing my ass!" Naruto muttered under his breath. "He'll probably laze around like usual. Stupid Ero-sennin."

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Naruto was quick to answer.

"Good. Now I leave you to your training." And with that, he promptly disappeared into the trees.

Without more prompting, the two boys were facing each other. They stood in the middle of the meadow, fifty metres from each other. Naruto was calm and was waiting for Harry to come to him. The young wizard was tense, but had a determined glint in his eyes. He would do his best. Soon, he was charging at his blond friend, directing a punch in the other's face, only to easily be intercepted. But he was not put off and continued his attack with a kick. Relentlessly he kicked and punched, but did not really manage to touch Naruto. Eventually, he was thrown back by a well aimed kick in his gut. It took him a moment to stand up, but he managed to do so and charged back only to trip.

"Ouch!"

"How did you manage to trip here? There's only grass!" Naruto asked incredulously.

"There's a stone here, if you must know!" Harry argued petulantly. "Come have a look if you don't believe me!"

"Harry..."

"It is here! Look!" he argued further and pointed at it while stubbornly sitting next to it. Seeing the look he was receiving, Naruto only sighed and approached to see that indeed there was a stone. A black stone. Taking a closer look at it, he noticed a strange drawing on it.

"What's this?"

"A stone."

"I know! But what's this sign on it?"

"A sign..."

And indeed, here it was. Carved in the middle of the stone. There were circles intertwined with each other. Five circles intertwined and in the middle of it a sixth circle. It looked like a sort of flower. What a mesmerising sight. The circles seemed to fit with each other and formed a beautiful and well-balanced whole. Fascinated the two boys seemed drawn to the stone and reach a hand to touch it. As soon as each had a hand on the stone, the air surrounding the meadow changed. Everything stilled for a moment before a warm wind swept through the trees. A warm and strange feeling overwhelmed the two boys. It was comforting, as if they had reached home. Never before had they felt so at peace, so welcomed. This was a feeling that they knew, but it had something else to it. Something more. Something that made them feel whole. But what? However they did not have time to think on it any further, as the feeling soon left them. They touched the stone again, hoping to feel it again, but it did not happened again.

"What was that?" soon asked a worried Jiraya. They did not know.

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Hidden in a deep and dark forest, a group of cloaked people stopped their activities. Frozen by the sudden rush they felt. Eyes closed they enjoyed the moment. Such a long wait. Slowly smiles and delightful laughter were heard throughout the forest. At last, it was time.

In a dark and large room only lit by candles, a group of men were meditating when a sudden wind swirled around them, making the candles flicker. Shock. They had almost lost hope, but now... Gentle smiles slowly adorned their faces. Yes, the time has come.

Perched on his chair, an ancient toad could only smile knowingly, before going back to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Here you go. I hope you enjoyed it. I know the fighting part was not brilliant. Well, I hope to improve that for later. <strong>

**So, after long thinking, I decided to divide my story in 3 parts. I think it will work better this way. Anyway, that's why this story is indicated as "complete" but really, it's just the 1st part being done. The next part will also be called _Companion Souls _except that there will be something else instead of _Finding You_. I just don't know yet how to call it. I'm not really good with titles. Anyway, that's it for now, see with Part 2.^^**


	11. AN

**Author's Note**

Thanks to all of you who left some reviews for the last chapter. I appreciate it.

Also, some of you asked me to post a note when part 2 was published. So here it is, I posted the first 2 chapters already. It's called _Companion Souls: Blooming Spirits. __  
><em>


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